In a scathing statement, William Seripele Maphutha, head of Education and Economic Development for the Bapedi Kingdom and Coordinator of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Bapedi Campus, has condemned the alleged sabotage of efforts to establish a Mining University in Sekhukhune.

Maphutha’s bold declaration sends a clear message: those responsible for undermining the project will be held accountable, and “heads will roll”.

The TUT Sekhukhune Campus project has been plagued by delays, sparking frustration among stakeholders. Maphutha’s statement confirms that letters have been sent to the Minister of Higher Education, and the matter is now under review by the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education.

The Bapedi Kingdom’s determination to prioritise education and economic development in the region is evident in Maphutha’s stance.

“The Kingdom remains resolute in ensuring the project’s success, and this issue is far from over,” Maphutha said.

The collaboration between TUT and the Bapedi Kingdom began in 2021, with high hopes for a new campus dedicated to providing education in mining and agriculture.

However, the project has faced numerous challenges, including concerns over the campus's location and communication breakdowns.

Maphutha’s statement serves as a warning to those responsible for the project’s delays, saying the Kingdom’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

“The Bapedi Kingdom will not back down in its pursuit of education and economic development for its people.

“In a region rich in mineral resources, the establishment of a Mining University in Sekhukhune is crucial for the local community’s economic empowerment. The Bapedi Kingdom’s fight for this project is a testament to its dedication to creating opportunities for its people and driving economic growth in the region,” Maphutha said.

Previously, The Star reported that the Kingdom and its chiefs in Limpopo were livid over TUT’s silence on the building of the “promised” campus after a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

It is alleged that in May 2021, the Kingdom and TUT signed the MOU at the royal house in Sekhukhune to build a campus that would accommodate students who would be interested in enrolling in mining related studies.

At the time, it was widely reported that TUT and the Kingdom had identified the old Sekhukhune Teaching College as the site where the campus would be based as the college’s building was no longer being used.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor in Teaching, Learning and Technology, Professor Stanley Mukhola, at the time had endorsed the deal, saying the new campus would concentrate mining and agriculture to no avail.

“We are grateful to be accepted in the Sekhukhune area to start what I call, not a satellite, but a distant campus. So the idea is to start a new campus here focusing mainly on mining and agriculture. We believe in educating people. We realise that there is nothing dealing with mining; there is a very good infrastructure, the Sekhukhune training college, the old one, where we say now we can make use of that facility,” Mukhola reportedly said at the time.

Despite this, the university has been mum on the project four years later, sparking an outrage among the Bapedi people of Sekhukhune, who are saying they feel betrayed at the non-communication, especially from the Vice-Chancellor Professor Tinyiko Maluleke.

President Cyril Ramaphosa also endorsed the project in his visit during the burial of the late King Victor Thulare III.

Fuelling the anger was a meeting between the Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba, who had occupied office for just over a month, and Maluleke recently, over an establishment of a Giyani TUT campus, an idea - according to the Kingdom - that came after the Sekhukhune campus breaking ground.

This sparked more anger in the Kingdom with some saying this was bordering on tribalism because Maluleke was Shangaan-speaking, he preferred to build the campus in a Shangaan-populated area.

Responding to an inquiry from The Star, TUT’s spokesperson Phaphama Tshisikhawe had initially said the university had acknowledged the concerns.

The Star

mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za