Academic Space for Sale: Everything seems to Have a Price
Recently there were court cases against the University of KwaZulu-Natal Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela School of Medicine (Medical School) by applicants who wanted places to study medicine. It is unfair that some children had to resort to the courts to try and gain entry into the Medical School. Further, many have challenged the legitimate racial quota system to try and manipulate the process to have more of these R500 000 “seats” together with beautiful houses and cars. This unfortunately further widens the gap of socio-economic differences in our society, not only by disgracefully/ corruptly giving the already fortunate financial power but further disadvantages those who cannot afford. Without a doubt, this is the child of a working class. Progressive youth alliance at UKZN medical school welcomes the investigations into corrupt admission of students. Corruption at our Medical School has been endemic for many years but now has reached a peak - a fact obvious to student leaders. The UKZN SRC (Central SRC as well as MSRC) has come up with various mechanisms that seek to undermine the corrupt activities by those who have the audacity to point out corruption in our government. The UKZN individuals are dirty and corrupt as they continue with the perpetuation of systematic racism. The MSRC would like to aver that more rot remains in the system and we need urgent intervention to eradicate this. Of course the current leadership is ineffective and corruption has flourished unabated and with an increased intensity.
Selection Policy
We have reached a point where the oppression of one race by the other is evident. Many individuals previously cried foul when issues of racism were raised at the Medical School. The selection policy was drafted by the SRC in 2012, in response to these same corrupt and persistent activities. The policy previously allowed for the Deans discretion- meaning the Dean of the then Faculty of Medicine was able to offer seats at medical school at his sole discretion. The SRC discovered that these Deans selections tended to skew the quota system by increasing the number of the minority in the system. It defeated the transformative agenda that wanted to redress the imbalance created by the apartheid regime.
The quota has been continually undermined when selections are made at the beginning of each academic year. Our observations noted that the quota imbalance was mostly created in the Indian selections. One evidence is based on the current dilemma, previous dilemmas and we shall see as investigations continue. This is after everything was denied and the glorified fictitious KPMG report was said to be clean of any irregularities, reported by the VC less than a year ago .We further state that, an investigation relating to the religious background amongst students in the Indian category be conducted as the quota seems to favour a particular minority Indian religious group in SA. Further, this minority Indian religious group now seems to dominate the Indian student population within the entire College of Health Sciences. This further leaves us with questions of the legitimacy of this demographic reflection in our institution.
A crucial point here is that previously when the SRC sat on the selection panel, unsuccessful candidates resorted to court action regarding the quota system and not the “brown envelope stories” that currently plague our Medical School. Some envelopes were exchanged at the “helicopter level” that evaded leadership scrutiny. The SRC was removed from the selection panel after there were complaints that student leaders were biased. Student leaders demanded proof of this bias and to date none has been provided. The MSRC fought vigorously whilst not on the selection the panel for fair and transparent processes. Of course it was convenient to exclude the MSRC from the selection panel as the corruption could flourish and has reached such heights that the officials seem untouchable. Why has the Medical School not issued a statement to denounce the corruption and assure relevant stakeholders that there is integrity in the training and the degree? Are senior officials part of the gravy train and hence the deafening silence? The question of who is really corrupt between student leaders and the supposed-to-be pillars of this institution has answered itself we believe. It is important to point out that this question has been rhetoric to us as student leaders evident by the current dilemmas.
We are of the view that we should always speak the truth. There have been incidences where Africans with money have also bought seats. This conclusion was arrived at when the individual(s) concerned had points and an average below those on the waiting list. We do not need any other evidence as this is discriminatory in itself and blatant. The point is not intended to create the racial tensions between the student population and university community at large but to expose these corrupt people who perpetuate corruption with impunity, seemingly aided and abetted by the College hierarchy.
We thought it was untrue when the allegations of marginalisation of the coloured race was raised. This still speaks of the racial oppression of one race by the other. Brown Envelope Agents or the CHS Sales Persons, inform their rich clientele that they should become coloured on paper whilst maintaining their true race.
Several Attempts to Remove the Quota System
It is with greatest regret that our college remains the least transformed whilst it produces professionals that play critical roles in our fractured society. There are people who still perpetuate racial tendencies because the previous system favoured them as well as the current, hence they see no need to transform. There was and still is the great resistance to transformation by the office of the College Director of Professional Services. The official in his employment capacity has made attempts to remove the quota system asserting that we are all equal. This official has been resistant to transformation and we call upon him to be removed urgently and further be investigated. Our concern is that all college admissions are under his auspices and he might temper with evidence. It is well known that controversy has followed this individual for many years. It is well known that this person was responsible for forcing the previous DVC of the College to resign as corruption was unearthed that involved monies between the this person and then then Dean (who was responsible for hiring him in the first place – a great example of a transformation appointment!).
We have over the years raised serious concerns about this individual, but no action has been taken. Whether he is directly or indirectly implicated, he has been grossly negligent by ignoring our complaints about this syndicate. By implication he seems to afford protection to these corrupt individuals. If we ignored the counter-revolutionary call made by his office, we would have betrayed our general mission. We shall continue to fight because our African brothers and sisters cannot afford R500 000 nor registration fees of R3 750.
We categorically request that a particular high-ranking professor at the medical school be suspended or placed on special leave. We further call upon investigations to extend to the then Faculty of Medicine (when Proffesor Willem Sturm was dean) – to identify and root out corrupt individuals. It is obvious that one race group is implicated from higher management – but no action is being taken!
No one should be allowed to benefit from these crimes. This goes without saying that this is not he first submission of this nature in an attempt to keep our institution away from public shame, less than a year on, our fears are realised. What has also become evident to us it that, to an extent, we have become the only stakeholder concerned about the image of this institution. Is it because children of certain office holders, one stated above, are not within this institution? Is it bluntly that to certain people this institution is a financial cow to continue to milk? Or is it that there is no care of the integrity of education provided? Which all in all reflects individuals who are so divorced of conscious that social ills of this country are further sinking into the UKZN man-made sinkhole. On the issue at hand, we have been proven to have valid concerns/submissions and given that they fall into deaf ears we further assume that this syndicate could be in offices we will all be shocked once all is unveiled.
Because of the above-mentioned offices, more specific to the Medical Campus leaves many questions. One fundamental one is, in the hierarchy/ chain of command within our institution where is the head of the college that constantly discredit/ undermines products of UKZN through what has been seen recently in media?
Is the seriousness of our complains unheard that much, case in point, till this day The School of Clinical Medicine still operates with an action dean who with the administrations of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) with students has been seen to cause unnecessary inconveniences and is unlawful when carefully analysed. More questions come to light, is it power hunger for syndicate protection? Was the decision an illusion to student body so as to benefit from this year’s round of selling of spaces? When a bag of potatoes has one rotten potatoes, all are taken out of the bag, analysed only then one can see the rotten one(s).
It is therefore time we apply this principle in our college to salvage what we have left of it
We Welcome the Arrests Being Made
We call upon students who are beneficiaries of seats at the Medical School to speak out. We will negotiate their immunity from Prosecutions only if they speak the truth so that the rotten individuals can be rooted out and prosecuted by the law. We are aware that the Hawks are still coming for you because same offer will be made for those little Gujarat owners. We request your maximum cooperation with the law agencies and the worst that we could accept as a settlement is your exclusion from the system and not imprisonment and/or criminal records. We will only allow you to be disciplined by the University so that your academic record with UKZN is not expunged. This is a good act of a remorseful citizen who appreciates their wrong doing and are self-correcting. However, we shall wait for at most 5 working days post release of this statement. Failure to come out, we will apply intense pressure to the institution to identify you, isolate you and exclude you. Further, pressure will be put to the Hawks/SAPS at the same time to arrest you. This may sound like a dream but wait and watch how things unfold.
Please approach the SRC and or RMS so that your identity would be protected in this entire process.This is all in a cry to not have selfish minds bury this institution in our time, this our duty to the society, to the country and dare not we betray it because history will harshly judge us.
Your revolutionaries
Voice of the Voiceless
On behalf of the Medical School Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA), a formation of the ANCYL, SASCO and YCLSA.