TUT: More financial irregularities come to light
Certain questions remain to be asked regarding the circumstances of Professor Johnny Molefe's tenure as Vice Chancellor at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). In particular, his approval of plans to develop a university town in Ga-Rankuwa, at a cost initially estimated at R2.2 billion, raises a number of serious concerns.
This programme is now in its second planning phase, following the completion of an expensive feasibility study and the development of the Ga-Rankuwa "Master Plan", which was concluded in 2009.
These plans may seem to be a positive development, but this project has been dogged by a number of irregularities right from the start:
The TUT's former Chief Financial Officer, Dr Doeke Tromp, refused to pay out an amount of R133 million from the University's Reserve Fund as initial capital for the project. His reasons for doing so were that it would have been extremely irregular, as the fund was created only for educational purposes, and because there was no business plan for the project. Shortly thereafter, his contract was terminated and he had to leave the university.
The nature and extent of the planned developments are such that it amounts to town planning and development. A great deal of land would have to be purchased, rezoned and consolidated for this purpose. Money meant to be utilised for the development of the TUT would in reality be utilised to develop the town of Ga-Rankuwa.