December 5, 2003
By Tshepiso Mogotsi
AMERICAN talk show icon Oprah Winfrey paid a surprise visit to the CIDA City Campus in downtown Johannesburg this week and handed over an unexpected gift - a US$1-million donation towards a new residence.
Staff and students were left speechless after Winfrey and her television crew dropped in at the campus on Wednesday 3 December. She had jetted into the country to attend Nelson Mandela's 46664 Aids concert in Cape Town on the weekend.
News of her visit to the Johannesburg campus was kept under wraps and not a word of her donation leaked out ahead of time. Said executive director of CIDA, Thembinkosi Mhlongo: "We only knew on Tuesday night she was coming the following day, and we knew absolutely nothing about the donation until she arrived at the campus."
Winfrey then presented CIDA directors with the first instalment, a cheque for R1-million. The money will be used to build an African style residence.
CIDA City Campus is South Africa's first ubuntu university, offering tertiary level courses in business at minimal cost to students from financially or other disadvantaged backgrounds. CIDA, the Community and Individual Development Association, currently has 1 600 students.
The residence was one of CIDA's most pressing problems, according to Mhlongo. "Although the education is free, our financially disadvantaged students are required to pay for accommodation, food and transport."
She pointed out that with the large number of buildings in the inner city being closed down as part of the inner city rejuvenation programme many students had been left without accommodation.
"We have been planning to do something about this issue and we are delighted by Winfrey's boost. She even told us she had never come across students with such maturity and dignity as those in CIDA," said Mhlongo.
Third year Bachelor of Business Administration degree student, France Mashilo, said he sometimes watched Winfrey's television show and seeing her in person "was the best moment of my life". "And then her announcement of the donation and comments about us - it just makes it so much better."
Winfrey and her crew were taken on a tour of the campus, filming lecture rooms, the computers and the cafeteria, so there's bound to be footage of CIDA on her show soon.
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