Durban - The Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) is in turmoil, with four senior executives, including the vice-chancellor, quitting and two others placed on special leave.
This happened amid a forensic investigation into alleged financial mismanagement, the results of which were due to be presented at a sitting of the university council on Monday.
Vice-chancellor, Professor Ratale Kgaphola, resigned last month, while one of his top executives resigned earlier this month.
Two other leaders at the university left the south Durban institution after their contracts with the university expired last month.
The departure of the four senior managers was confirmed by MUT council chairman, Judge Jerome Ngwenya, in an interview with the Daily News last week.
The four were among six senior managers placed on special leave in February amid allegations of financial mismanagement.
The Daily News reported at the time that the university council had ordered a forensic investigation, undertaken by the consultancy, UBAC.
When contacted for comment, Kgaphola said in an SMS he had been advised by his lawyers not to comment.
“Please be informed I am under advice not to make any comment regarding my situation at MUT. Hence, I regret that neither I nor my lawyers will issue a statement,” he said.
The Daily News contacted another, now at the University of Zululand, on Friday and he promised to reply to e-mailed questions by Saturday, however nothing was forthcoming and he could not be reached thereafter.
The Daily News was unable to reach the other executives.
Ngwenya said the council was seeking legal opinion on its next move, as the forensic investigators had recommended action be taken against some of the senior managers.
In March, Ngwenya told the Daily News the investigation was probing allegations of financial mismanagement and failure to comply with university procedures as per university policy in the appointment of service providers.
There had been complaints the university had failed to follow procedures in appointing service providers for student accommodation.
Ngwenya said a media statement on the matter would be released in the coming weeks.
“We are taking legal opinion on what we can do since he (Kgaphola) has left the university. We are investigating what steps we can take against him and the legal opinion along with the recommendations in the forensic report will inform that,” he said.
Spokesman for the Department of Higher Education, Khaye Nkwanyana, when contacted last week, said they were not aware of the resignation of Kgaphola.
“We have not received that information. Maybe he has resigned to council, we have not been informed of that,” he said.
Ngwenya said the department had been informed.
Meanwhile, two other key executives have also been placed on special leave.
Professor Marcus Ramogale has been appointed acting vice-chancellor.
A former vice-chancellor and political commentator, Professor Sipho Seepe, said: “It is evident that management and council are not seeing eye to eye,” he said.
Seepe said universities should lead by example and said it was unfortunate that “highly intelligent people are unable to resolve problems through dialogue”.
He said the departures would cause some instability, but said the university’s problem could not be blamed on any one person.
While there is trouble in the boardroom, general workers - including cleaners and security guards - have been on strike since May, demanding to be hired directly by the university.
Commenting on the striking workers, Ngwenya said: “Council has noted with concern the disturbances caused by the demands made by the employees of the service providers demanding to be employed by the university under duress.”
South African Public Service Union (Sapsu) KZN secretary, Joe Sibiya, whose union represents the striking workers, said it had met a university executive to table its demands for insourcing contract workers.
“We were discussing the matter of insourcing of workers. In that meeting he was positive because he had a desire to restore order in the university.
“We made our demands and he told us that the outsourcing discussion was taking place in the university and he was due to present before an executive committee meeting,” he said.
Sibiya said he had been placed on special leave not long after that meeting and said in a letter the executive wrote to the union, his tune had changed - announcing there would be no further communication with the union.
However, this could not be confirmed with the university at the time of publication.
The union wants the university to in-source staff.
Ngwenya denied that the executives’ suspensions were linked to the striking workers.
The MUT Student Representative Council was not available for comment despite many attempts to call its secretary-general, Thokozani Radebe.
Daily News