Johannesburg - United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa has accused Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande of trying to interfere in the appointment of the new head of Unisa.
Holomisa has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa claiming that Nzimande, through his industry envoy Nqaba Nqandela, was trying to influence who would be named the next principal and vice-chancellor of Unisa.
The university has shortlisted two people, Professor Puleng LenkaBula and Professor Sandile P Songca to replace Professor Mandla Makhanya, who has led the institution for more than a decade.
LenkaBula is the vice-rector for institutional change, students’ affairs and community engagement at the University of Free State.
Songca is deputy vice-chancellor of teaching and learning at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
The Unisa council also announced that Makhanya’s term, which was supposed to end in December, has been extended to the end of April next year for a proper handover.
In his letter to Ramaphosa, Holomisa said: “The involvement of the minister’s ‘industrial envoy’, Mr Nqaba Nqandela, who is masquerading as a DHET representative, definitely compromises Minister Nzimande’s promise that he would not interfere in the vice-chancellor appointment. Who mandated Mr Nqandela to poke his nose into Unisa’s affairs?”
He also accused Nzimande of intimidating people in the higher education sector.
But Unisa denied Holomisa’s claims, saying Nqandela was never part of any processes involving the search for a new vice-chancellor.
Nzimande’s spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi also dismissed Holomisa as being malicious. “Minister Nzimande would like to outrightly reject with contempt the claims and outright lies by Mr Bantu Holomisa.
“There seems to be a continuous, malicious, misleading and sustained programme by Mr Bantu Holomisa to tarnish the integrity and image of Minister Nzimande.”
Mnisi also said Nqandela never interfered in the Unisa processes.
Unisa spokesperson Thomas Huma said: “It is the Unisa Council that appoints the principal and vice-chancellor after receiving the recommendation of the selection committee appointed for this process as well as considering the advice of the executive committees of the Institutional Forum and Senate. It is expected council will consider this matter at its next scheduled meeting on November 26.”
The Star