Johannesburg – Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has finally confirmed that he has been deregistered from his Masters Degree studies by the University of Fort Hare.
Mabuyane last week denied having any knowledge of the University investigating his enrollment for a master degree programme without an honors degree.
Mabuyane said that he had received a letter from the University’s Sename committee confirming the decision to kick him out of the programme he had been registered for the past four years.
Sunday World reported three weeks ago that Mabuyane’s admission for a master degree in public administration was being investigated by the University following revelations that his supervisor Professor Edwin Ijeoma had been enrolling politicians irregularly into post graduate programmes without meeting the minimum requirements for the qualifications.
Also read: Mabuyane’s admission for a master’s degree suspect
“I have received a number of media enquiries about the decision of the Senate of the University of Fort Hare (UFH) to exclude and deregister me from the Master of Administration degree.
“I would like to confirm that indeed I received a letter from the University which states that the Senate has approved a Faculty of Management and Commerce recommendation to exclude and deregister me as a student of the institution, reportedly following a review conducted in respect of students who were supervised by Professor Edwin Ijeoma. I would also like to confirm that this is the first time that the University has communicated to me about this matter,” Mabuyane said in a statement.
In the same statement, the Premier said he was aggrieved with the University’s handling of the matter stating that the information about his exclusion had been communicated to the media before the letter could even reach him.
He said the only communication he had received from the University has been in relation was the allocation of his new supervisor and granting of his ethical clearance after the suspension of his supervisor Prof Edwin Ijeoma.
“I would like to express my serious concerns and dissatisfaction regarding the fact that I was neither informed that there was a process of reviewing my enrolment at the university, nor was I afforded an opportunity to make representations on a process that might have an adverse effect on me.
It is also worrying that a student could be excluded and deregistered from the university on the basis that their supervisor was under investigation. My understanding is that the admission of a student is done following extensive selection and admission processes and that no single individual in the university has the authority to admit students, and if that’s the case, it is cause for concern.
Nonetheless, it is on this basis that I have requested the university to provide me with reasons for their decision and thus expressed my intention to appeal the Senate outcomes, including a possible judicial review if needs be. I therefore appeal that the media and the public allow this process to unfold and as such I would not be commenting further on the matter,” read parts of his statement.
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