Infrastructure Oversight Visit by DHET

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) visited the University of Zululand (UNIZULU) on Thursday, 15 September.

In his welcome to delegates, Thabani Mncwango, Executive Director: Infrastructure remarked that this was the first visit to haven taken place post Covid-19.

UNIZULU has responded to a range of imperatives – stimulated by government funding and internal financial resources – aimed at accelerating and advancing its vision to be a leading comprehensive university that thrives on quality and fosters collaborative and innovative cultures with its rural and urban campuses.

UNIZULU has embarked on a programme of infrastructure expansion that has so far exceeded expectation. A number of factors underpin the mobilisation of this multibillion programme, including:

• The vision of an improved campus for students, staff and society;
• A leadership focus on fundraising and alternative financing mechanisms;
• Optimism tempered by rigorous budget control and cash flow management;
• A programmatic approach to delivery, supported by governance structures to integrate diverse stakeholder objectives within an overarching academic and spatial vision;
• Dedicated project management ensuring consistent delivery, monitoring and reporting;
• A commitment to innovation and value-based contractual arrangements that reward performance, promote
• collaboration, long-term relationships and improving delivery;
• A culture of continuous value engineering to ensure that all projects remain within budget.

Chairing the session, Mncwango further zoomed into UNIZULU’s vision 2027 strategic goal 5, which entails accelerating the rehabilitation and development of UNIZULU infrastructure.

Key infrastructure includes classrooms, laboratories, equipment, student residences, security facilities and systems, and the full range of underlying infrastructure to support digital systems. The project delivery structure was unpacked and presented.

Key milestones, a progress update on active IEG-funded projects as well as the whole project scope and description were all unpacked.

Some infrastructure is funded by the university’s internal resources, including the fourth floor, Council Chambers and all floors in the admin building.

There are also priority infrastructure projects, which include the Multipurpose Dome facilities.

– Gcina Nhleko

Caption

Representatives of the Department of Higher Education and Training recently visited the University of Zululand to assess the progress of new and refurbished infrastructure as well as hold further discussions.