The much anticipated opening of the Giyani Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Campus faces another hurdle, as the local contractors are fighting for a cut in the multimillion construction tenders for the refurbishment of the institution in the Limpopo province.
The local contractors in the Giyani area have disrupted tender briefing sessions aimed at appointing contractors for the refurbishment of the then Giyani College of Education, demanding a stake as required by the government’s policy. In terms of the preferential procurement policy, contractors must subcontract 30% of the job to locals.
The campus has recently advertised four separate heavy construction tenders for the refurbishments and upgrading of TUT Giyani campus. These include security upgrades, gymnasium and auditorium, and construction of the new entrance gate.
Responding to a parliamentary question in March 2022, the then minister of the Department of Higher Education & Training Blade Nzimande said that the department had allocated R31, 9 million, with more funding to be allocated from 2024/25 onwards over a six-year period, for the TUT to carry out refurbishments and deferred maintenance on the existing facilities.
The Giyani-based contractors under the banner of ‘Vatsonga Machangani Forum’ demand that the projects should be awarded to them on the basis that is happening in their region.
In a press statement released on Sunday, 13 March, Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba condemned their disruptive acts and cautioned that they pose a threat for the project to complete on time.
“We will not tolerate a situation where few individuals disrupt a process that is meant to bring hope and opportunity to our people.
“No one is above the law, and as such we have escalated the matter to the law enforcement to act decisively against those who continue to threaten development that benefits the broader society,” said Ramathuba.
As per the initial plans, the campus was set to complete the refurbishment by September 2025 and start with students intake by January 2026.
Talking to African Times News, ‘Vatsonga Machangani Forum’ Secretary Msapa Baloyi said they won’t be intimidated by Ramathuba’s remarks that they must stop engaging in the projects.
“As a forum, we are staunchly pro-education and fully support the urgent need for a university in Giyani, However, this should not come at the expense of excluding local businesses and communities from participating in the project’s economic opportunities.
“We reject any attempts to intimidate Giyani’s Tsonga business community from engaging in the project (SIC),“ Baloyi said.
The forum’s Secretary further likened the refurbishment tenders to the Giyani-bulk water project, where projects were awarded to non-local entities.
“The Vatsonga Machangani Forum strongly refutes claims that the people of Giyani have hijacked the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) project.
“We have witnessed similar patterns in the past, notably with the Giyani Water Project, where billions of rands were misappropriated under the pretext of providing water to our communities, “ he said.
The publication reached out to the TUT spokesperson Phaphama Tshisikhawe for comments. However, the spokesperson was not available at the time of this article’s publication.
