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A high-level team, tasked by higher education Minister Blade Nzimande to find ways to restore good governance and management, descended on the University of Fort Hare last week.
Led by two independent assessors, professors Chris Brink and Louis Molamu, the team was appointed by Nzimande earlier last month following a recommendation from Fort Hare’s administrator Professor Loyiso Nongxa.
As part of their duties, they will also investigate allegations of misconduct and mismanagement against Fort Hare vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, who has not been suspended.
This could be seen as a small victory for some internal structures at Fort Hare, which criticised Nzimande’s predecessor, Naledi Pandor, for not dissolving Buhlungu’s administration together with council when she appointed Nongxa in April.
Read: Pandor explains why she did not consult Fort Hare stakeholders
There had been calls within the now-defunct council to investigate Buhlungu.
Differences between the then council members led to Pandor appointing Nongxa to take over governance.
Nzimande’s spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi said Buhlungu and his management would remain in place as was set out in the terms of reference detailing Nongxa’s duties.
“The appointment of an independent assessor is therefore consistent with the terms of reference of the administrator [Nongxa] to assist him in fulfilling his terms of reference. Nzimande’s decision is therefore consistent with that of Pandor,” Mnisi said.
Nongxa told City Press on July 24 that he recommended an independent panel [team led by assessors] to Pandor before she was redeployed to the department of international relations and cooperation in May.
This, Nongxa said, was part of his terms of reference when he was appointed.
“It was signed off by the new minister about two weeks ago. The terms of reference were drafted in May, with my concurrence, by the officials from the department of higher education,” Nongxa said.
Mnisi confirmed this saying it was part of Nongxa’s duties, which required an independent investigation into Fort Hare’s affairs in light of resignations, suspensions and dismissals that had taken place, alleged financial irregularities and other related matters that had contributed to the current state of affairs and the collapse of governance.
His year term at the helm, Nongxa said, was aimed at stabilising issues of governance while the team led by assessors will complete its work and submit a report with recommendations on what needed to be done to Nzimande within 90 days.
Asked what he had done since his appointment at Fort Hare, Nongxa said he would be submitting his quarterly report to Nzimande by the end of this month.
This would be in addition to communication he had sent to the university community.
“I cannot report to the media before I have discharged my responsibility to the minister. I have issued four communiques to the Fort Hare community to update people on my plans,” Nongxa said.
City Press understands that work to revise the university’s statute, which forms part of his duties, was under way.
Fort Hare spokesperson Tandi Mapukata said Buhlungu has not been and was not about to be suspended because Nzimande’s instructions in the Government Gazette, which announced the appointment of independent assessors for Fort Hare, was that he would stay as a vice-chancellor.
“This is the department’s process and Minister Nzimande is the current minister and owner of all matters linked to the gazette,” Mapukata said.
City Press has seen communication sent by Brink and Molamu to the university community earlier last month warning that theirs was an independent process.
“No member of the university community or officer of the university should seek to influence unfairly or unlawfully or even to frustrate the work of the panel. After the planning visit the panel will indicate a programme of interviews and will contact the relevant persons directly. There will be no media interviews or statements,” the communication reads.
- Conducting a detailed analysis and provide a report on the state of the university’s governance which has led to Pandor appointing Nongxa and the current state of management including policies and procedures pertaining to financial management, supply chain management, human resources and information technology;
- Instituting an investigation of the financial policies and procedures of the university and its business entities with a specific focus on internal audit processes, procurement and tender procedures, and any specific allegations of financial irregularity that may be brought to their attention;
- Compiling a detailed analysis and report on the human resources policies and practices, particularly in relation to enhancing organisational efficiency and employment relations;
- Conducting a detailed analysis and report on the circumstances and reasons for the significant number of staff suspensions, disciplinary cases, and dismissals since 2015;
- Investigating the operations of the office of the registrar in relation to the management of academic affairs, registration and certification matters and any other matters that they believe warrant investigations; and
- Identifying any regulation, policy or practice that must be reviewed or created to improve employment relations with the university, among other duties.
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