The Tshwane University of Technology's (TUT) Giyani campus project has been marred by delays and controversy, with the recent dismissal of the project manager sparking further setbacks.
Despite initial promises and approvals, the project's progress has been hindered by various issues, including the sudden removal of the project manager.
In 2021, the Department of Higher Education (DHET) invited TUT to establish a campus in Giyani, to bring higher education closer to local students.
In a letter written approving the project to the university, then Higher Education Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, wrote that he was allocating funds for the institution to kick-start the project.
"The funding to be allocated during 2024/25 will enable TUT to start with the planning of the major projects during the 2024 calendar year," the letter read.
Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba said: "The establishment of the TUT campus in Giyani is a transformative project that promises to bring higher education closer to local students.”
The project was initially expected to commence in 2022, but progress was slow due to various challenges.
In August 2024, TUT and the Greater Giyani Municipality signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), paving the way for the project's implementation.
The project's momentum was seemingly gaining traction, with the appointment of a project manager, whose name is known to the publication, in August 2024 and the signing of a Project Transfer Agreement (PTO) between TUT and the Greater Giyani Municipality.
However, the sudden removal of the project manager in February 2025 has caused significant delays and raised concerns about the project's future.
According to a source close to the project, the removal of the project manager has resulted in a missed stakeholder engagement session, scheduled for February 17-21, 2025, that was not attended - tender process complications after tender documents were only provided to those who attended the online briefing session, necessitating a restart of the tender process and further delaying the project.
The removal of the project manager has also allegedly violated the deed transfer conditions, which stipulate that the property must be used for educational purposes and conform to local customs.
The community and stakeholders are now calling for the reinstatement of the initial project manager to ensure the project's successful completion.
“We need to know why the initial project manager was removed from his duties because when he was on duty, the project was moving and we could see that we were working toward something tangible. But he was suddenly removed without any explanation from us.
“There had been targets regarding this project but we are now left in limbo,” a source involved in the project said.
TUT spokesperson Phaphama Tshisikhawe had not responded to questions by the time of publication.
It's not the first time TUT has been in the spotlight regarding campuses in other provinces.
In September last year, the Sekhukune Royal Kingdom in Limpopo expressed outrage over the alleged diversion of a project to build a TUT campus on their land, to a different location in Giyani.
The kingdom claimed that TUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Tinyiko Maluleke, hijacked the project despite a 2021 memorandum of understanding between the two entities.
According to senior royal council member Seripele Mampuru, Maluleke redirected the project to Giyani, without consulting the royal council.
“We are well aware that Maluleke redirected the building of this campus. At some stage, he set up a meeting to meet us in Sekhukhune but he never came as promised. He has been ignoring our calls for far too long, and we are not pleased with the way he is treating us,” Mampuru initially said.
Maluleke did not answer his phone when called for comment.