Pretoria - Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) head Professor Nthabiseng Ogude resigned under a cloud of suspicion on Monday, making her the third vice-chancellor in four years to leave the troubled institution before the end of their contractual terms.
Ogude leaves the institution two years into her contract, and after various strike actions, the disruption of academic processes and calls by unions and students that she leave.
The resignation was confirmed by university council chairman Dr Bandile Masuku, who told the Pretoria News the resignation was by mutual agreement with the professor.
“She opted to terminate her contract on the basis of pursuing other career options,” said Masuku.
He said her departure had nothing to do with the troubles that have rocked the university in recent months, which had seen long protracted strike action, the burning of TUT vehicles and the defacing of buildings.
During a recent spate of strikes, students across all city campuses abandoned classes, pulling others out of lecture halls and barring students and staff from entering the campuses.
Masuku said: “We accepted and understood her reasons, and allowed the early termination of her contract.”
Ogude was appointed in 2012, but in the two years since, unions and the student body have repeatedly called for her resignation, accusing her of running a corrupt and incompetent administration.
They also said she refused to meet them to discuss important issues.
In a march on her offices last year, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) accused her of making unilateral decisions on collective bargaining and conditions of service, saying she had allocated herself R3 million for security. The union asked why she felt the need to surround herself with security. While the council maintained Ogude was leaving for greener pastures, sources high up in the institution’s administration said she had been cut loose by her bosses, because she was not good for the institution’s image.
One insider said: “Her lack of communication skills and failure to interact with stakeholders did not sit well with anyone. The complaints became too much to ignore. It was time to let her go.”
That she was unable to manage problems, like strikes, had also worked against her, said the insider who asked not to be named for fear of retribution.
“She was fighting with senior professors and refusing to work with others. Her stakeholder relations were poor. She really had no time for anyone, she had to go,” the insider said.
Ogude took over the reins of the university after Professor Johnny Molefe was ousted. He was fired over fake credentials. Molefe served only a year of his term as vice-chancellor and principal before news surfaced that his doctorate was from an unaccredited Caribbean university.
His name was also dragged through a scandal which involved the bugging of senior staffers during his tenure.
After he left, TUT was placed under administration for a year.
The announcement of Ogude as the new principal sparked some protests from unions. They viewed her appointment as suspicious and called for the reinstatement of Molefe.
Molefe’s axing came barely two years after his predecessor, Errol Tyobeka, had left after relations with the university council broke down. He was in the fourth year of his term when the university advertised the position he held, prompting him to take legal action to force the varsity to give him a second term in office.
The council let him go over that, saying it could no longer trust him to work amicably with it.
On Monday, Nehawu applauded the resignation of Ogude, saying it has been vindicated. Provincial chairman Amos Monyela said: “The issues we continuously raised about her lack of strategy are what led to her leaving.”
He said the union had been waiting for the end of exams to get back on its campaign trail against her. “We were waiting for the environment to become stable, but we are happy she has saved us the trouble.”
The process of finding a replacement would not be easy, Masuku said, adding that acting senior deputy vice-chancellor Professor Lourens van Staden would act as vice-chancellor during the recruitment.
Pretoria News