Long road to bring TUT to Giyani
Community leaders recount the long journey to bring TUT to Giyani, overcoming setbacks to secure a campus they hope will drive growth and opportunity.
LIMPOPO – Bringing a university to Giyani was no simple task, says Denis Maselesele of the Khatsani Group, one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Giyani Campus.
Speaking during a TUT public engagement on Monday, Maselesele reflected on the years-long struggle that began with a small group of community members determined to revive Giyani’s economy and restore hope for its youth.
“The journey we travelled to bring a university to Giyani was very long,” he said. “If we had to start it again, I probably wouldn’t agree.”
The idea originated with three individuals, Dr Ndhambhi, Mr Nhlayisi, and Maselesele, who were later joined by influential supporters, including traditional leaders and academics from Giyani and Malamulele.
“As we saw things deteriorating, we asked what we could do to change them. We realised that the only way to transform Giyani through jobs and economic growth was by establishing a university.”
Minister Nzimande backs ambitious proposal
The group’s first step was meeting former Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande. “We met him at Polokwane International Airport,” recalled Maselesele. “After we explained our mission, he was shocked that Giyani still didn’t have a university while other former homelands did.”
Nzimande appointed a team to guide the group through the application process. With their help, the group prepared and submitted all the required documentation. Their first proposal, in collaboration with the University of Pretoria, was rejected by its council, which deemed the project not cost-effective.
They then approached the University of Limpopo through Nzimande’s intervention.
“During our meeting, Nzimande assured the university that funding would not be a problem. But even after several engagements, their council also rejected the idea.”
The group then asked Nzimande to help them secure a technical university instead, one focused on practical and specialised studies.
“TUT showed real interest in our proposal,” said Maselesele. “But then Covid-19 hit, and everything came to a standstill. When the pandemic ended, we regrouped as the Khatsani Group and planned our next move.”
With help from businessman Mr Nhlayisi, who donated over R30 000 for travel expenses, they travelled to KwaZulu-Natal to meet Nzimande again.
“When he asked why we came so far just to see him, we told him it was because we were serious,” Maselesele recalled.
Nzimande then took them to visit the Durban University of Technology, whose environment, he noted, resembled Giyani’s.
“A follow-up meeting in Durban sealed the deal for TUT’s expansion into Giyani. True to his word, Nzimande visited Giyani on September 22, 2022, to inspect facilities, a moment that marked a new chapter for the community. Maselesele the Homu royal family for allocating an additional 15ha of land for future campus expansion. With enough community support, this university could become a fully-fledged institution within five years,” he said.
“This institution belongs to us. We must protect it, support it, and send our children there so it doesn’t become a white elephant.”
