Motsepe’s E10 million donation was kept safe-Registrar

By Bahle Gama

The E10 million donated by the Motsepe Foundation to the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) has been kept safe by the institution to build classroom blocks and offices.

This was confirmed by UNESWA Registrar Salebona Simelane who was responding to a questionnaire regarding a story written by the Eswatini Daily News’ sister newspaper, Eswatini Financial Times, on how the project would be funded.

“Yes, the Dr Patrice Motsepe-donated funds will be used for the construction of office and classroom blocks. The money was safely kept for the said project,” he briefly responded.

The institution has in the past received backlash for allegedly using donor funds which were supposedly diverted to other costs of the institution instead of the intended projects.

This was because the university was reportedly grappling with financial problems, evidenced by the Vice Chancellor pleading for the government to bail out the institution by writing off some of its debt in May 2022.

In 2018 during the 38th graduation ceremony, whilst being conferred with a doctorate, South African billionaire Dr Patrice Motsepe donated E10 million to the institution through the Motsepe Foundation.

The institution has since opened tender applications for the construction of classroom blocks and offices for the Kwaluseni and Mbabane Campuses.

The period of completion is expected to be a year and the contractor is expected to submit a construction program with the tender which will be scrutinized by the project manager and further make changes mutually agreed on.