Johannesburg - Yet another Unisa staffer has accused the university’s vice-chancellor and principal, Puleng LenkaBula, and some of her subordinates of conspiring against him through unfounded and baseless sexual harassment allegations.
Unisa registrar Professor Steward Mothata says he has proof that the VC has been behind baseless sexual harassment allegations concocted against him.
He said these had been made to tarnish his image and interfere with his office.
This comes after former Unisa head of legal services, advocate Modidima Mannya, accused the university of getting rid of him through sexual harassment charges, which are currently before the courts.
“It is reported that I committed sexual misconduct and that I told a female staffer that I want her. This never even happened.
“This young man told them that I wanted to sleep with some woman. That is the charge against me. This young man was insisting I made contact with this woman, but I never did,” Mannya said.
Mannya was placed on suspension on April 8 last year for three months after he rejected a proposal by the VC to participate in what she termed a mediation process, while allegations of sexual misconduct against him have never been investigated since then.
Mothata also accused the head of employee relations, Dr Phumzile Dlamini, and the VC of interfering with his portfolio, adding that a woman colleague had admitted to him that her signature had been used without her approval in a sexual harassment charge against him.
In a letter dated October 31, 2022, Mothata wrote to the chairperson of the Social and Ethics Committee of the Council (Secoc), Belinda Mapongwana, detailing these allegations and saying he had already raised this matter in February.
“On October 5, 2022, I was having lunch with my colleague, and we spoke about a number of issues. She then, out of her own free will, informed me of other concerns regarding the fact that her signature was used in the harassment report tabled at Secoc without her consent. I was shocked. I have always known and reported to yourselves that this was a conspiracy against me, led by the VC, but to go for such fraudulent and desperate acts was the last straw for me,” Mothata said.
Mothata said he has email, WhatsApp and telephonic records where an alleged plot against him had been hatched to tarnish his image.
He has also accused the VC and head of Employee Relations, Dr Phumzile Dlamini, of sabotaging the office of the registrar and for failing to appoint a new head of dean of students following the departure of Dr Olwethu Sipuka from this position over eight months ago.
“The HR staff members are complaining about the conduct of head of Employee Relations Specialist, Dr Dlamini, as well as the VC and part of the complaint raised relates directly to the registrar’s portfolio and myself. You will recall that the formal grievance submitted on February 9 alluded to the fact that operations and deliberate interference in my portfolio by the VC is aimed at destabilising and ensuring that I don’t succeed in leading this portfolio,” he said.
The university said it was not prepared to comment on issues affecting staff members as these were internal matters being dealt with within university processes.
“The university has formal internal processes through which staff-related issues are addressed. As such, we have no further comment on this matter.”
The Star