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By Thapelo Molefe
Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) has achieved an unqualified audit opinion, marking a significant turnaround for the institution after previously receiving a disclaimer audit opinion.
In a statement on Monday, MUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Rushiella Songca described the result as one of the most significant milestones in the university’s history.
Songca, who took office as Interim Vice-Chancellor and Principal in March, said the achievement was the result of collective efforts across the institution.
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“I am deeply humbled and immensely proud to stand alongside the Council, Executive Management, Senate, staff and students at this historic moment. While I have only been at MUT since March, this achievement belongs to every individual who believed that this University could rise again,” Songca said.
She said the turnaround showed that institutional transformation was possible when employees worked towards a common goal.
The university also credited its governance structures, including its Council, Finance and Investment Committee and Audit and Risk Committee, for their role in overseeing the recovery process.
Songca said the committees had helped ensure that the university’s turnaround strategy remained focused on governance, accountability and financial sustainability.
“The role played by the Finance and Investment Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee cannot be overstated. Their rigorous oversight, attention to detail and commitment to accountability ensured that our turnaround strategy remained focused and measurable,” she said.
Songca also praised MUT staff for their contribution to improving the institution’s systems and controls.
“Many colleagues worked long hours, sacrificed personal time and demonstrated unwavering commitment to strengthening our governance systems, financial controls and accountability mechanisms,” she said.
The university said moving from a disclaimer audit opinion to an unqualified opinion in a relatively short period represented a significant achievement, given the challenges institutions typically face when rebuilding governance and financial systems.
However, Songca said the latest audit outcome should not be viewed as the end of the university’s turnaround process.
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“An unqualified audit is far more than a financial outcome. It is a statement about who we are becoming as an institution,” she said.
“It reflects stronger governance, greater accountability, improved systems and renewed confidence in the way we manage the University’s resources.”
She said the achievement was aligned with MUT’s IGNITE 2030 Strategy, which seeks to position the university as a leading university of technology through academic excellence, impactful research, innovation and sustainable development.
Songca said the university would now focus on maintaining the improvements that led to the unqualified audit opinion.
“Today we celebrate, but tomorrow we continue the work. We have demonstrated that transformation is possible. Our responsibility now is to protect this achievement, build on it and ensure that future generations inherit an institution that is stronger, more accountable and globally respected,” she said.
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