Education Minister Buti Manamela is expected to take decisive action in addressing the explosive maladministration allegations at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) where senior officials are believed to have recklessly handed over a R400-million construction project to an allegedly unqualified consultant to complete.
University officials could find themselves [place] from the pan into the fire after it has been uncovered that they may have acted unlawfully when they directly approached Brad Boertjie to take over the colossal project and see it to completion without following any proper tender procedures or due diligence processes.
The project requires a CIDB Level 8 to 9 grading.
After abruptly terminating the main contractors and consultants on the project at the beginning of the year, Boertjie revealed that he was personally approached by university officials and “asked” to take over the management of the massive construction project.
The university removed construction company Temi Construction and engineering consultants Vuvamu from the project without clear justification, creating the opening for Boertjie’s controversial appointment.
No bidding done
The irregular appointment resulted in Boertjie’s company, BorCon, securing itself a lucrative R76-million contract through what appears to be a direct handover rather than a competitive bidding process.
Sources suggest this arrangement bypassed all standard procurement protocols that govern public institutions.
The DUT is now frantically scrambling to prepare for complex arbitration proceedings between itself and the ousted Temi Construction, where the company believes it is owed substantial compensation for work already completed.
In a bizarre twist that has raised further questions about potential conflicts of interest, Boertjie is somehow positioned as a party to these same arbitration proceedings, despite being the beneficiary of Temi’s removal.
The gravity of the situation prompted immediate intervention from the national Department of Higher Education. Director-General Dr. Nkosinathi Sishi wasted no time in writing directly to the university’s governing council, demanding comprehensive answers on the damaging allegations that had emerged and threatening further action if satisfactory explanations were not provided.
Enquiry fast-tracked
University branch deputy Director-General Dr. Marcia Socikwa told Sunday World that the investigative process to get to the bottom of the serious allegations has been fast-tracked and given top priority within the department.
“Respectfully our roles are different. We gave the university 7 days to submit their response. They met our deadline and we immediately started processing their submission as per our internal protocols and procedures,” said Socikwa.
“The Minister’s office will advise on the next steps by the end of next week. We accept that the matters raised are extremely serious and the university needs to explain itself comprehensively and urgently as per legislative prescripts. Nothing less will suffice,” said Socikwa, emphasizing the department’s determination to get answers.
The R400-million construction project encompasses multiple major infrastructure developments across DUT’s campuses, including a new student centre, multipurpose hall and a parkade at the Steve Biko campus, two blocks of new student residences accommodating 800 students built near the Steve Biko campus, an S block extension adding lecture venues and computer labs, and a science building and lecture venues developed at the Indumiso campus in Pietermaritzburg.
The project represents one of the most significant infrastructure investments in DUT’s history, aimed at modernising facilities and expanding capacity for the university’s approximately 30,000 students across its seven campuses in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
The scandal has highlighted fundamental failures in procurement governance at the institution, with the appointment process potentially exposing both university officials and the consultant to legal liability while undermining the integrity of public sector construction procurement protocols that are designed to ensure transparency, competitiveness, and value for money in taxpayer-funded projects.
