KwaZulu-Natal Department of Public Works Deputy Director-General, Mr Thulani Mdadane, graduated from UKZN with a Master’s degree in Construction Studies.

Mdadane also holds a Bachelor of Information Science degree from UNISA, an Honours in Information Science degree from UKZN, a Master’s in Infrastructure Design from UCT, an MBA from MANCOSA, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Law from the Graduate Institute of Management and Technology.

His latest master’s research project explored and investigated challenges experienced by small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) within the construction industry in the eThekwini region, with a special focus on public procurement.

‘I work in the construction sector at management level, so I needed a deeper technical and professional understanding of construction management in order to provide proper leadership at the operational level,’ said Mdadane.

Mdadane was supervised by Professor Theodore Haupt, SARChI Chair in Sustainable Work, Education, Environment and Transformation (SWEET).

‘Thulani Mdadane is one of the most enthusiastic and determined postgraduate candidates I have ever supervised,’ said Haupt. ‘As a senior official in the KZN Department of Public Works he had to juggle the enormous responsibilities of his day-to-day job with having to complete a dissertation on a challenging topic.

‘I believe the findings of his study, if taken seriously, have the potential to improve the overall performance of the construction SMME sector, not only in KZN, but the country as a whole.’

Mdadane is currently reading for a PhD in Construction Studies at UKZN’s School of Engineering which he aims to complete within three years.

The avid book reader is passionate about academic excellence.

He believes his research findings will have a strong impact on economic development in the construction sector and within SMMEs in general.

Words: Christian Ishimwe

Photograph: Rajesh Jantilal