The University of KwaZulu-Natal has called on the Hawks to investigate allegations of corruption at its Nelson Mandela School of Medicine.
This is according to UKZN Vice-Chancellor Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, who made the comment in response to questions from the national higher education and training portfolio committee in Durban on Thursday.
The committee is in the province to investigate the state of its universities.
Van Jaarsveld told the committee that a forensic investigation, which had been completed, had identified serious issues which required investigation by the police.
The medical school has in the past faced claims that people were buying their places and that some had even gained entry to study at the institution with fraudulent Grade 12 certificates.
Places at the medical school are highly sought after as it has limited space.
There is also a racial quota in place that complicates the applications process, as only a certain number of students, based on their race, can be accepted at the medical school.
The quota allows for 69% black African, 19% Indian, 9% coloured, 2% white and 1% other.
Places are reserved for those pupils from Quintile 1, 2 and 3 schools, which are poorer schools in the system.
The quota was implemented to address the imbalances of the past by reserving more places for black students.
Van Jaarsveld told the committee that they would be cleaning house once the investigation was completed.
“We will get to the bottom of this. It looks like there are a lot of people who are involved. KPMG has completed the forensic investigation and they highlighted a number of issues.
“Our internal unit is conducting further investigations and the Hawks have been informed about the matter,” said Van Jaarsveld.
Last year it was reported that a fourth-year student, Rivaaz Manisunker, 24, allegedly faked his matric results to get into the university.
He was arrested and charged with fraud.
The charges were dropped, according to reports, because a whistle-blower withdrew the allegations and UKZN had not joined as a complainant in the matter.
It was also reported in June that the university had confirmed it was investigating a syndicate that could be selling sought-after places at the medical school.
The syndicate, it said, involved high-ranking academics and administration staff.
Among the allegations reported at the time was that there were Indian students who had colluded with others, for a sum, to identify themselves as coloureds in order to gain entry to the medical school.
The committee also touched on the clash between Van Jaarsveld and five members of his executive.
The five, who had accused the vice-chancellor of racism after receiving low scores in an assessment, face being suspended based on recommendations made by an investigation.
The senior council leadership managed to keep the latest details of the clash confidential yesterday after they requested a closed meeting with the portfolio committee about the issue.
However, the unions and the students who had appeared earlier before the committee had differing views on the matter.
One of the unions demanded that the five executives be suspended, saying that should this not happen, it would throw the university into chaos.
But students said they were against the suspension as it could negatively affect their academic year.
The Mercury