ANC's Naledi Pandor Slams R3.2 Billion Afrikaans University Project, Says SA Is “Too Complacent”
- Former minister Naledi Pandor raised concerns about the multi-billion-rand Akademia campus being built in Pretoria
- Pandor made the remarks during an interview on the African Renaissance Podcast, questioning the lack of public debate around the project
- The privately funded campus is expected to cost over R3 billion and accommodate more than 6,500 students once complete
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PRETORIA — Former Cabinet minister Naledi Pandor has raised concerns about the development of a new Afrikaans-medium university campus in Pretoria, questioning why the multi-billion-rand project has attracted so little public scrutiny.
Pandor made her remarks during an appearance on the African Renaissance Podcast, where she discussed education, democracy and transformation in post-apartheid South Africa.
ANC stalwart expresses concern over the building of Akademia
The former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation said she was troubled by what she described as widespread complacency around the construction of Akademia's new campus.
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"The only person speaking out is Jonathan Jansen. The rest of us remain quiet. We are far too complacent with our freedom," she said.
Pandor argued that the country had not fully reckoned with the legacy of racism and colonialism, and warned that entrenched power structures tend to find new means of sustaining themselves.
"It is a massive challenge because we are battling centuries of racism and colonialism, and those who have held control do not let go easily," she said.
She also cautioned that a lack of civic engagement created space for organisations such as AfriForum to gain influence.
"If we understand that, then AfriForum won't have currency. But because we have no answer, we're too casual," Pandor added.
What is the Akademia campus project?
The development in question was announced in August 2024 through a partnership between Solidarity. The campus is being built along Boschkop Road, east of Pretoria, and is designed to house up to 5,000 undergraduate students and 1,500 postgraduate students.
Planned facilities include lecture halls, laboratories, research centres, student residences, sports amenities, a library, restaurants and office space, with an experimental farm earmarked for the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Agriculture.
Kanton Managing Director Henk Schalekamp has indicated that the first phase of the development is valued at approximately R1.8 billion, with total project costs projected to exceed R3 billion. Construction began in August 2025 and is expected to reach completion by January 2028.
Akademia has confirmed that the campus receives no government funding or subsidies.
Akademia buys land for new campus
Briefly News reported that Akademia bought 105 hectares of land in the Boschenmeer area in Paarl to build a new university campus. Reports from the Daily Investor indicate that the land, called Vêrgesig, is being prepared for future development by property investment company Kanton. Kanton is also working on Akademia’s campus project in Pretoria. According to reports, Akademia already has students studying in Paarl this year. They are using a temporary campus in Esterville while the permanent campus is being planned.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
