DURBAN - SUSPENDED Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) vice-chancellor (VC) Dr Enoch Duma Malaza says he will challenge the decision taken by the institution’s council to force him to retire this year, two years before the end of his contract.
Malaza was appointed in May 2018, and his five-year contract was supposed to end in 2023.
He has been on suspension since April 2020 over allegations of corruption in the awarding of contracts at the institution, a move that he says was a council witch-hunt.
Malaza confirmed this week that he had received correspondence from the council informing him about the decision to have him retire at the end of the year.
“I was really surprised by the move from the council, but I am not accepting it,” a determined-sounding Malaza told The Mercury.
He accused the council of being on a witch-hunt because he had protested over its interference with his work.
“Council should be playing an oversight role, but what they were doing was interfering with management issues, and that is how this whole thing started,” said the vice-chancellor.
He conceded that bad governance and mismanagement had come to characterise MUT over recent years and said he had sought to “clean it up”.
He said a forensic report by Ubuntu Business Advisory and Consulting in 2017 pointed to severe violations of governance principles by the council.
He said his suspension and that of chief audit executive Dr Jerome Mabaso and senior director of operations Muzi Khumalo were prompted by his decision to report the council’s interference in the management of the institution to the Department of Higher Education.
“I was suspended by council on April 29 2020 after I had reported to the Department of Higher Education and Training on March 25 2020 the interference by the chairpersons of council and the audit committee in the management of the security tender. I had reported to the council meeting of April 29 2020 the abuse of power by the chairperson of council, the exco of council, and the committees of council,” Malaza said.
A source said the move by the council on the vice-chancellor was a clear sign that they wanted him out.
“MUT has many people older than 65 years who are on contract. This irregular move is part of the agenda of some members of the council to ensure the VC does not return to campus at all costs, as they realise that they may not achieve this through the disciplinary inquiry,” said the source.
Staff members who spoke on condition of anonymity also questioned the council’s wisdom in forcing Malaza to retire before the end of his term.
University spokesperson Bheki Hlophe said it was an internal matter.
“The issue of Dr Malaza’s contract that you are referring to is an internal matter that the university is still processing.
“As such, a response to the matter by the university would not only be premature, but would also be procedurally inappropriate,” said Hlophe.
MUT has been plagued by problems over the past few years, with councils often at loggerheads with vice-chancellors.
Attempts for comment from the Department of Higher Education were unsuccessful.
THE MERCURY