Pretoria - The announcement that the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation has appointed an independent assessor to investigate several reports at Unisa has been welcomed by the university and the union.
Dr Blade Nzimande said he had appointed an independent body to investigate certain administrative issues. The reports include a recent labour dispute between the university and staff members affiliated with the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu).
The unrest resulted in protracted protest action in April over what the union described as the mismanagement of the institution by Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Puleng LenkaBula.
The union also raised alarm bells about the renovations done on the vice-chancellor’s house to the value of R2 million, illegal appointments, and maladministration of university resources.
The university said it welcomed the Nzimande’s decision to appoint an assessor, adding that it would provide its unconditional support and co-operation to the independent assessor just as it had supported the work of the ministerial task team.
According to Unisa, the appointment of the independent assessor had been made in terms of the provisions of the Higher Education Act. It followed the submission and recommendations of the ministerial task team on the strategic review of Unisa as well as written and face-to-face engagements between the minister and the Unisa council.
“The university holds the view that this is the correct platform and process to address the challenges and allegations besetting Unisa once and for all.
“To this end, the university will engage directly and only with the processes outlined by the independent assessor,” read a statement by the university on Monday. “The principal and vice-chancellor and the management committee of the university are committed to transparency and will update the university’s knowledge communities on all the processes as they unfold, as communicated by the Department of Higher Education and Training.”
Nehawu national co-ordinator Ntsako Nombelani said the union was pleased that the minister had decided to take the step that the university council had failed to do.
Nombelani said the union had for some time raised its concerns about a number of issues, particularly regarding illegal appointments, maladministration and abuse of university resources to no avail.
Nehawu eventually took its pleas to the Department of Higher Education offices in Pretoria in April, demanding intervention from the minister.
“We’re extremely happy that this is finally taking place as we’ve been calling for intervention for some time now,” Nombelani said.
“Our wish is for the university to be under administration, be it under a former VC or capable leadership to enable the institution to reboot itself to its former glory.
“The university needs this intervention as the council failed to hold the vice-chancellor accountable, but we know that with the assessor in play they will also be able to investigate their role in the whole mess,” Nombelani said.
Pretoria News