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These are troubled times for South African universities and our institutions are reeling from the effect of multiple pressures. Universities that are not in the metropoles are often disregarded in public debate. Therefore, while I value the focus on the Univeristy of Fort Hare, I feel compelled to respond to an article published in the City Press on March 10 (Fort Hare vice-chancellor under fire over alleged affair with employee).
Read: Fort Hare vice-chancellor under fire over alleged affair with employee
The article contains fabrications and inaccuracies that are part of a smear campaign that has been going on since mid-2018.
This push-back campaign is a direct response to a series of actions taken to stabilise the institution and root out malfeasance.
Our university grapples with complex and delicate matters every day.
I would have preferred that all appropriate governance processes be finalised before offering public commentary. However, the falsehoods contained in the article cannot go unchallenged. They have caused considerable damage to the university and cast aspersions on me as vice-chancellor. Within the above constraints, I need to set the record straight:
- I understand the investigation into my office was commissioned by the chairperson of the audit and risk committee, following a whistle-blower report relating to an alleged improper intimate relationship between myself and an employee, and purported to have affected an appointment decision.
He appointed advocate Dion Hucker and forensic specialist Jason Jordan to conduct the investigation.
The affected employee and I submitted our laptops and cellphones. We were also interviewed individually by Hucker. We willingly participated, despite not being given any outline of the allegation or the terms of reference for the investigation.
I am troubled by the fact that the investigation was neither initiated nor approved by [the university] council and my line manager, the chairperson of the council.
Also, I understand the investigation was completed and a report was submitted in November last year. To date, though, the report has not been made available to the council or the chairperson.
The relationship allegation first emerged last year during a strike by one of the unions at the university and was widely ventilated on social media platforms.
The story is devoid of all truth and I am willing to submit to any other form of scrutiny to establish the truth of the false allegation.
I am deeply concerned by prejudice caused to the affected employee’s rights as a result of the negative media reports and a smear campaign. These cast aspersions on the integrity of our recruitment processes.
Read: Fort Hare vice-chancellor under fire over alleged affair with employee
It should not be necessary to state but, for the record, due process was followed and the staff member in question is suitably qualified and experienced.
- In February last year I reported to the Hawks a case of a forged signature on a student housing lease in East London. In July last year I reported another case of possible fraud amounting to about R19 million. I also submitted a report to the minister of higher education and training. There is a third internal case pertaining to kickbacks to staff.
All of these are central to the “VC Must Go” and related smear campaigns and are driven by implicated employees. In fact, the onset of the smear campaigns coincided with the beginning of the Hawks investigation last year.
- The aim of the investigation is to identify financial risks and put measures in place to prevent a recurrence. A report will be finalised soon and implicated employees will be disciplined.
- Currently, I am not willing to comment on the suspension of the chief audit executive on allegations of serious misconduct because media discussions might prejudice the rights of the employee and the ability of the university to ensure a fair but firm process.
On September 20 last year City Press reported that a whistle-blower had made a set of damning allegations against me (Fort Hare boss under fire for flouting procurement procedures and victimising whistle-blower). However, City Press failed to follow up on that story when the person in question issued a public apology, retracted the statements and left the university.
I wish to challenge City Press regarding the quality of its reporting. The two articles seem to suggest that journalist Msindisi Fengu has deliberately put himself and the paper at the service of people who are running a campaign to denigrate those who confront graft and other forms of impropriety at the university.
I reserve my right to comment more directly once all internal processes have been completed. However, the University of Fort Hare is too important a national asset to allow for the sacrifice of nuance and complexity in your analysis of our difficulties, in favour of cheap scandal.
Buhlungu is the vice-chancellor and principal of the University of Fort Hare
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