Tertiary education is poised to take centre stage in Newcastle over the coming weeks, as work on the town’s new university edges closer to completion. This pivotal milestone will significantly benefit the community, offering those seeking higher education more accessible opportunities, while also aligning with the Municipality’s vision of transforming Newcastle into a metropolitan city.
As reported by Newcastillian News in May 2024, the journey towards establishing the new university began when Newcastle’s Mayor, Councillor Dube, announced that the Newcastle Municipality had entered into an agreement to establish a tertiary educational facility.
This agreement culminated in a lease for the Old Borough Engineers offices, situated at the corner of Hospital and Link Streets, which was selected as the site for the new university.
According to the Municipality, the project will profoundly impact the local community. It is expected to stimulate the town’s economy and bring Newcastle one step closer to becoming a metropolitan city. With a multi-campus university in place, the project will not only provide more educational opportunities but will also help local families save on expenses typically associated with tertiary education, such as accommodation and transportation fees.
While the benefits were clear, extensive work was required to prepare the building, which would house lecture rooms, spaces for online courses, administrative offices, security offices, and bathroom facilities, among other features. The renovation of the building was divided into two phases. Phase 1 of the facility was estimated to cost R2,570,000, while Phase 2 was projected to cost R3,693,659.53.
Recognising the importance of this new university for Newcastle’s future, both the Municipality and Unisa conducted an oversight visit of the premises in September 2024, with both parties expressing satisfaction with the progress made.
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With the end of the year fast approaching and the new academic year on the horizon, the Newcastle Municipality’s Manager for Communications and Customer Relations, Mthandeni Myende, provided an update on the project’s progress. He explained that work was progressing very well and that the Municipality remained on track to meet the necessary deadlines for completion.
However, Myende acknowledged that the project had not been without its challenges. “The white box is complete, and the alterations that were requested by the client are done,” said Myende. In construction terms, a ‘white box’ refers to a partially constructed lease space that is finished with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, as well as plumbing, lighting, basic electrical wiring, ceilings, and white-painted walls. The space is built to meet the regulations and codes of the area, with all traces of the previous tenant removed.
It should be highlighted, the completion of the white box included several crucial tasks, such as replacing the roof covering and trusses, filling flooring slabs with concrete, repairing cracked walls, plumbing and drainage work, constructing a new ramp, electrifying the building, building a new ablution block, adding floor coverings, removing old air conditioning units, and painting the building.
With the physical work nearing completion, Myende reflected on the challenges faced during the project. One of the difficulties was the change in scope requested by Unisa.
The Municipality had opted to use its own internal staff for the work in order to save costs, and due to the previous contractor’s standard of work not meeting the required quality, the Municipal team had to adjust and make the necessary changes to meet Unisa’s specifications. While this was initially a challenge, Myende highlighted that it ultimately proved to be a positive aspect of the project, as it allowed the Municipal staff to gain valuable skills through knowledge transfer from the service provider who had originally been on site.
As the project nears its final stages, the question remains: will the university open in January as planned? Myende explained that while the Municipality had completed its part of the work, there were still areas of the project that needed to be finalised. “We are currently waiting for Unisa to approve the Bill of Quantity for us to proceed with the tenant installation phase,” he said.
Once approval is received, which should be taking place soon, the Municipality hopes that the university will open in time for the new academic year, providing the Newcastle community with greater access to tertiary education for their children, closer to home.
As the project steadily moves along, what are your thoughts on the above? Share your views in the comments section below
18 Responses
This development is not just important for young children alone, we as adult, we are also interested in developing ourselves through this university. Thank for all what has been done. We are waiting with the highest anticipation as community of Newcastle to enrolled as student of this institution.
Woooooow!!! What an achievement, I am very grateful for this kind of improvement. I can’t wait for the opening. I am very proud of the city implementation. Great work and innovation.
We are thankful for the development that is taking place in Newcastle especially with the education shape the Municipality and Government has taken in advancing the education this side of the area, well done and aluta continua….
It’s great news, what are the faculties that the university will have.
We appreciate everything that our municipality has done to advance the interest of the Newcastle community and its surroundings. One wonders though if it is too early to indicate to the public which courses and qualifications this branch of Unisa will be offering when it becomes operational next year. I imagine the young people who have just matriculated and also those who have been idling at home for God knows how long, would be very eager to know if the fields of studies available do meet their career of choice.
Oh wow! This is a great milestone for Newcastle. Congratulations to Newcastle Municipality and UNISA for such a great vision. There are multifaceted benefits to the community at large as in Higher Education, Employment opportunities and a step closer to Newcastle becoming a Metro.
Thank yu for bringing this huge investment goe Newcastlelians. Hoping this project will curb even unemployment and poverty in the city. We would like to know wher and when will start applying for jobs there.
That is great news! Lovely to hear that such things are coming to the town I grew up in. I wonder where one can get information on who will be doing the tenant installation.
I remember 20 years ago my friend and I had to camp at a petrol station the whole night as we had to wake up the next morning to register. We were just two of many 19 year olds who’ve found themselves in a strange big city (CPT). None of us knew anyone living there, it was dangerous and though worth it at the end I never in a hundred years wish my children to go through the same. That’s why having a university is important for this city.
We are really over the moon with this project as Newcastillians. It is in actual fact long overdue because we have a lot of students studying in other Universities from our town. This will minimise the costs for parents and it will allow those coming from disadvantaged background a chance to further their studies. There is a chance of developing ourselves further, improvement of local economy which will have greater impact of our town to grow and supply of local industries with skilled workers.
Our town is richly blessed with Academics, we are really grateful and proud of our Municipality for this huge project.
What an achievement for Newcastle, especially for the youth who need a tertiary institution closer to home to further their studies and also for those seeking jkb opportunities. This is really a wonderful milestone for this part of the province. Thanks to the Mayor Mr Dube and his team for the wonderful thought. Keep shining Newcastle.
Thanks to the Newcastle Municipality and other stakeholders. I wish to enroll for a Bachelor of Arts degree.
What a big step to the right direction. Education is the key forward Newcastle
P.J. Mngomezulu
This is a great stride taken by our municipality.
We hope it will benefit our community as some of the parents can’t afford paying for their kids in far off university.
It will help cutting off costs. Even our students who could not complete their degrees will get opportunity to do so as the university is at the door of their hometown. A great stride indeed.
Yaze yayinhle into eyenziwa nguMasipala waseNyukhasela, ngokusakhela inyuvesi ezoba seduze nathi lapha enhla nezwe lakithi. Abantu abafisa ukuqhuba izifundo zabo eYunivesithi abasezukudinga amatranki bebopha imithwalo bejubalala beya kude.Ekuseni sebezodla izinkobe kwagogo, emini bayafunda eNuvesi,ntambama bayabuya bayolala kwagogo. Siyabonga Newcastle Municipality, nime njalo Nina Bengwazi. Nina bakaDlothovu kabhekeki nangamehlo. Okumhlophe.
Woooo!This is awesome,not only students ll gain from this but job opportunities too.Thank you all for your hard work.
We are so thankful to the Municipality
I would like to give my experience of lecturering in my community.
Where can I submit my CV,,
Sbonge kumkhandlu waseNewcastle ngokubukelela kwezinga eluphezulu kwezamfundo .Leli igxathu elihle kakhulu syathokoza singabahlali