Share

Pandor brings in experienced Nongxa to steady Fort Hare ship

accreditation
Loyiso Nongxa.
Loyiso Nongxa.

Professor Loyiso Nongxa has been appointed as an administrator of the University of Fort Hare.

This was announced by the department of higher education and training Minister Naledi Pandor on Friday.

Nongxa’s appointment follows after the university’s council suspended the university’s vice-chancellor and principal, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, yesterday.

Read: Fort Hare attempts to stem ‘downward spiral’

Pandor’s spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele said Nongxa, who is the former Wits University vice-chancellor, would take over the council responsibilities, which include governance oversight.

Ngqengelele said Buhlungu would remain in office and work closely with Nongxa.

Nongxa is a mathematician and a former vice-chancellor and principal of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Ngqengelele said Pandor was allowed to appoint an administrator immediately without having assigned an independent assessor to investigate what was happening at a university.

“She can [appoint an independent assessor] depending on the severity of the situation and the minister is of the view that the situation requires the immediate appointment of the administrator,” Ngqengelele said.

Pandor said that, following a range of reports in the media and the “purported collapse” of the council at Fort Hare, she took the decision to intervene directly to ensure good governance at the university and to make certain that an environment conducive to teaching, learning and research prevails.

“Given the seriousness of the situation, I have decided to appoint an administrator to take over the governance of the University of Fort Hare for a period of 12 months, effective immediately. This means that the council is dissolved from the date of appointment of the administrator.”

She said Nongxa had agreed to take on this critical role and that she was grateful to him with the utmost integrity and commitment.

“I hope that he will receive the unqualified support of all members of the University of Fort Hare community, and be given the space to undertake this important responsibility, which will be to restore the effective governance of the institution.”

She said Buhlungu would remain in office.

“The UFH is rightly the focus of public concern given its important status in the history of our country, its considerable contribution to the intellectual life of South Africa, and the role that it plays in our public higher education system in one of our poorest provinces. I will do everything to support the university to ensure that it can function optimally,” Pandor said.

Pandor’s announcement followed amid contestations over whether a council meeting held on April 12, which took a decision to suspend Buhlungu, was properly constituted.

Buhlungu’s office had told City Press on Wednesday, when information surfaced that he had been served with notice of the intention to suspend him following the April 12 council meeting, that the university had received legal opinion and advice from two sources – the university’s internal legal division and from an external legal counsel.

“The two opinions are unanimous in clearly stating that the meeting held in April by nine council members (out of a total of 27 members) was invalid and that the decisions taken at that meeting are, therefore, of no legal force or effect. Accordingly, the vice-chancellor has informed the nine council members about the illegality of their meeting and decisions taken at that particular meeting, and has reserved his rights,” Buhlungu’s office said at the time.

Sindile Toni, who issued communication on behalf of council as its interim chairperson, said yesterday while briefing the university community that a court of law would deal with such contestations.


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you believe that the various planned marches against load shedding will prompt government to bring solutions and resolve the power crisis?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes
21% - 103 votes
No
79% - 392 votes
Vote