The Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) has a new administrator after a report suggested that the university is fraught with the collapse of good governance.
Professor Lourens van Staden, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of returning the institution to order, was appointed by Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande in September.
In a government gazette dated October 10 which Sunday World has seen, Nzimande said the move is in line with section 49B (1) of the Higher Education Act, which sanctions him to appoint a new administrator on the grounds of maladministration and mismanagement, among other offences.
Nzimande said he has resolved to dissolve the council even though it was not recommended in the report compiled by an independent assessor, professor Anthony Staak.
“The administrator is appointed for a period of 24 months from September 28 2022. In terms of section 49E, the [MUT] council is dissolved from the date the administrator is appointed. While the appointment is for 24 months, should the administrator complete the work in a shorter time frame, the administration will cease earlier,” according to Nzimande.
“Although the current independent assessor report did not necessarily recommend the dissolution of the council, the minister considered the report of the independent assessor, the response of the council of the Mangosuthu University of Technology, the advice of the Council on Higher Education, the history of the university, and other recent developments at the university.”
Professor Staden’s role
According to Nzimande, the role of MUT’s newly appointed administrator, Staden, is to take over the powers and duties of the dissolved council by instituting a new council, restoring good governance and management at the institution, and developing a five-year plan to address the challenges identified in Staak’s report.
Nzimande said Staden will also have to oversee the filling of senior-level posts within 12 to 18 months of his term in office.
“Review the senior appointments made in 2022 to ensure that the institutional statute and all applicable policies were strictly adhered to. Further to this, the administrator must ensure that there are necessary employment probity assessments for new management recruits.”
The report
The report by Staak, whom Nzimande appointed to probe the source and nature of the challenges facing the institution, was released in March, two months after the institution’s suspended vice-chancellor Enoch Malaza parted ways with the institution.
Sunday World reported at the time that Staak unveiled a culture of fear which dominated MUT, which led to the collapse of good governance.
“Sadly, the interviews and submissions revealed that these deep divisions still remain and the university is far from becoming a forum for the free expression of ideas and critical debate. When staff were interviewed in a group situation, there was a reluctance by people to speak openly about their concerns.
“MUT was described as a highly political space, comprising people with different agendas.”
Staak further found that the two key people in the institution, the vice-chancellor and the chair of the council, did not have a cordial working relationship and harboured mutual mistrust.
“Some of those interviewed characterised the relationship between chair and VC [vice-chancellor] as hierarchical and lacking mutual respect, with the chair talking down to the VC and belittling his reports.
“The chair claims that he was merely responding to reports that were sub-standard and that he tends to be direct in his responses. However, one gains the impression that these criticisms were not always made in a collegial and constructive manner, and the approach was not supportive.”
The probe also cleared Malaza of any wrongdoing. It was reported in the media in 2021 that Malaza and university council chairperson, Morailane Morailane, were at each other’s throats, with allegations and counter-allegations of wrongdoing.
Malaza was suspended by the council in April after allegations emerged that he awarded contracts unlawfully.
The department’s spokesperson, Ishmael Mnisi, said the minister will engage with the council on how the recommendations contained in the report would be taken forward.
Highlights of the Staak report:
- The university’s part-time hour system was abused. In one department, it was found that claims were inflated by as much as 600%. MUT has since taken a decision to phase out part-time classes, starting in 2023.
- A culture of self-enrichment seems to have taken hold at the institution.
- There are serious challenges with supply chain and contract management.
- There is no evidence to suggest that either the VC or any of the suspended members of management or any members of the council are involved in any corrupt activity.
- The process of suspending the VC and other senior managers was not conducted in a fair manner.
- There was a serious weakness in the registrar’s office. The assessor found that many of the problems experienced between the council and management could have been avoided if the registrar’s office was able to take a position and advise in areas whenever instances of council interference in operational matters become apparent, or when management appeared to operate outside the delegation of authority framework.
- MUT’s payroll had been breached and unauthorised employees were able to create their own contracts, change amounts and even change the duration of the contracts.
- The problems at MUT are systemic and their roots can be traced to the prevailing culture at the institution.
• The university does not yet have a financial sustainability plan to help it reduce overreliance on the financial aid scheme and the government.
For more education news from Sunday World, click here.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
