The Department of Higher Education has confirmed it is actively reviewing information submitted by the Durban University of Technology (DUT) following explosive allegations that officials unlawfully appointed an unqualified consultant to see through a complex R400-million construction project.
The department’s deputy director-general, Dr Marcia Socikwa, who oversees the university branch, has revealed that her department recently received a formal response from DUT’s council regarding the scandal that has left thousands of students without critical infrastructure for five years.
“We just received information from DUT. We are assessing the data provided currently as per our internal processes,” Socikwa told Sunday World on Tuesday.
The revelation comes after Sunday World exposed how BorCon, owned by Brad Boertjie, allegedly saw its fees balloon by 27 000% — from R278 250 to R75.8-million — after being controversially appointed to complete the stalled construction projects at the university’s Steve Biko and Indumiso campuses.
Probe to focus on procurement procedures
Sources within the department indicate that the assessment will focus on whether proper procurement procedures were followed when DUT terminated contracts with original tender winners Temi Construction and engineering consultants Vuvamu in January.
The investigation has gained urgency following allegations that DUT supply chain director Nonhlahla Gumbi resigned in protest over Boertjie’s appointment, reportedly refusing to take improper instructions regarding the controversial contract award.
Informal documents suggest Gumbi had raised concerns that BorCon lacked the required CIDB 8-9 accreditation necessary for such massive construction work and should have been subjected to an open tender process rather than direct appointment.
The scandal has exposed serious governance failures at one of KwaZulu-Natal’s premier tertiary institutions, where students continue to be denied access to promised facilities, including new residences for 800 students, a multipurpose hall, science buildings, and expanded lecture venues.
Temi Construction has maintained that its termination was orchestrated through what it described as “systematic harassment” following a cost-to-complete exercise that BorCon allegedly used to position itself as the replacement contractor.
“The harassment included threats of termination, micro-management, recovery statements, and late payments, ultimately leading to our termination and BorCon’s appointment,” the company stated in its response to the allegations.
Boertjie mum about firm’s appointment
Meanwhile, Boertjie has remained tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding his company’s lucrative appointment, having cited the “sub-judice status of matters” due to a pending arbitration between the original contractors of the work, who are demanding payments owed to them by the university.
Boertjie confirmed to Sunday World that his company was handed the juicy multimillion-rand contract complete “on a project management basis to facilitate completion of the project” without having to tender for the work.
The department’s assessment comes at a critical time for DUT, which has faced mounting pressure from students and stakeholders over the prolonged delays in delivering essential infrastructure that was originally scheduled for completion in 2022.
University management continues to maintain that the matter cannot be discussed due to ongoing arbitration proceedings, though sources suggest the council’s recent submission to the department may signal a shift toward greater transparency in addressing the procurement irregularities.
