PHUTI MOSOMANE

SUSPENDED University of South Africa (Unisa), Registrar Professor Steward Mothata has hit back over the “unlawful” reasons behind his suspension.

Mothata was placed on a precautionary suspension a week ago for the reasons outlined in a confidential letter to him.

However, his lawyer, Modidima Mannya, Mothata, described the actions by Unisa as an:” abuse of power”, adding that Vice-Chancellor Professor Lenka Bula does not have any powers whatsoever to suspend him.

The Registrar claims he is being victimised over acts of alleged sexual misconduct levelled against him by a staff member 13 months ago. The details of these were lodged with Unisa Council, but no action has been taken.

“The power to suspend and take any disciplinary action vests in the Council of the university. For this reason alone, the suspension is unlawful as a matter of law.”

In the legal response, Mothata said Council appointed an external advisory firm PWC to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against him. However, the preliminary report of the investigation confirms that the complaint is void of any truth and points to gross misconduct on the part of Prof Lenka Bula.

“The report specifically indicates the non-cooperation of Prof Lenka Bula. It is clear that the suspension is retaliation for the fact that the purported sexual misconduct complaint has been found to lack merit and exposes the participation of Prof Lenka Bula in the abuse of sexual misconduct.”

In another twist, in February 2021, Prof Mothata said in the lawyer's letter that he had reported to Council the misconduct of Prof Lenka Bula concerning the renovations at the Vice Chancellor’s house. These allegations were not investigated and subsequently were investigated by the Independent Assessor, who made damning findings against Prof Lenka Bula.

On 28th May 2023, Prof Mothata reported to Council what is unlawful conduct on the part of Prof Lenka Bula in making a payment of R500 000 (five hundred thousand rands) to Ms More, the claimed complainant in a sexual harassment complaint against Prof Mothata.

Prof Mothata accepted the findings of the Independent Assessor.

But Unisa has noted with concern the spurious allegations attributed to Prof Mothata, in which he is said to have told some media that he is being targeted for telling “the truth” and that the suspension letter is “vague.”

“We want to put it on record that the university needed to put Prof Mothata on precautionary suspension owing to his conduct which is in breach of the Unisa’s University Code of Ethics and Conduct and the Employee Disciplinary Code.”

“It is the university’s view that the suspension is necessary for the continued functioning and

governance of the University. The university believes that due processes were followed, which informed the decision to place the Registrar on suspension.”

Meanwhile, according to City Press at the weekend, the Unisa council has asked Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande not to disband them but to appoint an additional three members to assist them in performing their duties.

The newspaper said that the council pleaded with Nzimande, following an explosive 309-page report by Themba Mosia, after investigating allegations that the council was ineffective and maladministration claims against principal and vice-chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula. 

Mosia recommended to Nzimande that the council be disbanded, LenkaBula sacked, and an administrator appointed for Unisa.

Nzimande is studying the report.

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PHUTI MOSOMANE

THE Academic and Professional Staff Association (APSA) general secretary professor Boitumelo Senokoane says the union is preparing its members at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University to embark on a strike action on Thursday.

The union decided to embark on a strike action for wage increases after they were granted a certificate of non-resolution following a declaration of dispute that came after 3 months of wage negotiations and mediation by the CCMA failed to resolve the wage dispute.

“The employer is intransigent, unwilling to move from their initial offer of 5.7%. Our members mandated us to demand 7%, based on the assessment of the rising cost of living. Inflation remains elevated above 7% in the past few months, and the South African Reserve Bank has forecasted an average 6,2% inflation rate for 2023. Given the elevated risks of inflation, the annualised average forecast by SARB may be an under-forecast,” Senokoane said.

Senokoane said based on the average inflation forecast of 7,2%, a 5,7% offered by Sefako Makgatho University management will amount to a wage decline of 1,5% in real terms.

“APSA opposes this real decline, hence we insist on a 7% increase. The offer by the University will diminish the buying power of our workers in the context of inflation,” he said, adding that as per SMU strike policy, the employer has been given 48 hours’ notice and the protest action will be on Thursday.

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Former world champion boxer Savannah Marshall has recalled how she “really struggled” in school before discovering sport.

Ahead of a world-title fight in July, she returned to Teesside to launch a PE programme for school children.

The 32-year-old from Hartlepool said sport had brought her “self-belief, confidence and friendship”.

She added being physically active was important for young people to help with their mental and physical health.

“I really struggled in school, I struggled socially and academically as I’m dyslexic and my only outlet was during PE and during sport,” she said.

“I look at how far I’ve come and how sport has changed my life.”

Last year, Marshall was the first British female fighter to headline a world title fight when she faced Claressa Shields in front of a sell-out crowd of 20,000.

She lost her WBO middleweight belt in the clash, but hopes to become a two-weight world champion when she meets American super-middleweight champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn in London on 1 July.

Marshall said: “I’m living proof that if you enjoy something and you’re happy the possibilities are endless. I’m a two-time Olympian, a former world champion, I’ve travelled the world and it’s all through sport.

“But I was that child who was socially awkward, who couldn’t interact and hated performing in front of other people and I’ve come on leaps and bounds.”

Her programme, called Off the Canvas, also addresses social skills, friendship and self-belief before youngsters move onto secondary schools.

She hopes by passing on the lessons she learned through boxing it will inspire young people to achieve their dreams.

The initiative will offer PE teaching to children aged four to 11 at schools across north-east England on a subscription basis.

BBC

STAFF REPORTER

ON the 31st of May 2023, during its Autumn Graduation ceremonies, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) acknowledged Prof Salim Abdool Karim for his exceptional contributions to the global health environment and outstanding service to humanity.

At the ceremony, hosted at the Olive Convention Centre in North Beach, Durban, the Faculty of Health Sciences at DUT conferred an honorary Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Health Sciences to South Africa’s leading epidemiologist and infectious diseases specialist.

In honour of Prof Abdool Karim, the university also hosted a celebratory gala dinner to celebrate this award further.

On receiving this honorary doctorate, Prof Abdool Karim said: “I am deeply honoured by this accolade. It recognises the importance of science in dealing with infectious disease threats. More broadly, it highlights the value of science in making the world a better and safer place.”

On behalf of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), we congratulate Prof Abdool Karim on this excellent achievement.

Born in Mobeni Heights, south of Durban, Prof Abdool Karim (63) is the director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and CAPRISA professor for Global Health in the Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

Prof Abdool Karim also serves as an adjunct professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard University, Boston, adjunct professor of Medicine at Cornell University, New York, and pro-vice-chancellor of Research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.

As a distinguished health expert, Prof Abdool Karim has played a leading role in the HIV/Aids and COVID-19 pandemics. His expertise has extensively contributed to HIV/Aids prevention and treatment, as well as the COVID-19 response, thereby saving many lives.

During the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof Abdool Karim led the 41-member Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19. This committee guided the South African government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prof Abdool Karim played a critical role in providing the public and the government with scientific advice on the coronavirus, how it causes COVID-19 and the measures for preventing infection.

In 2022, he was appointed as a special advisor on pandemics to the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO). To date, the award-winning Prof Abdool Karim has published over 500 journal articles, 12 book chapters, co-editing three books, and holds six patents. He has been ranked amongst the world’s most highly cited scientists by the Web of Science.

Prof Abdool Karim also previously served as President of the SAMRC.

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STAFF REPORTER

“NOBODY is going to tell stories on our behalf; we have to tell our own stories,” said the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Letlhokwa Mpedi, at the launch of UJTV.

This ground-breaking platform, a collaboration between UJ’s University Relations Division, the Department of Communication and Media (COM), and the Information and Communications Technology (ICS), was unveiled on May 31, 2023.

Prof Mpedi added that UJTV came at a time when the University was entering a new era that prioritises societal impact in the context of the 4IR. “TV presents us with an opportunity to engage with our mandate in new and exciting ways.”

With a vision to become a frontrunner in university broadcast communications, UJTV aims to deliver educational and intellectually stimulating programming to the university community and the wider public. It seeks to transcend campus boundaries, carrying knowledge from UJ into the homes and lives of viewers in South Africa and around the globe.

Viewers can expect to see new and exciting content, including in-depth conversations with UJ executives about their roles and the inner workings of the university. It will also showcase student lifestyle events on campus, including wellness topics and balancing the pressures of studying and living a healthy lifestyle. Other shows will focus on the 4IR narrative and topical discussions affecting UJ students and the broader society.

The launch episode aired on Friday and is available on the official UJTV YouTube channel. New episodes will be broadcast on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

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STAFF REPORTER

AFRICA’s plans to build capacity to respond to future pandemics received a significant boost as South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) received an investment worth $4 458 033.00 (around R80 million) from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to drive skills and health innovation.

The investment, which seeks to strengthen Africa’s biomanufacturing capability through a workforce training and skills development programme, is a significant milestone that will reduce the continent’s dependence on imported critical health products.

“Skills development and the establishment of the necessary infrastructure in the field of biomanufacturing require urgent action to strengthen our capability to manufacture health products that are accessible and cost-effective locally. This will reduce the continent’s reliance on imported therapeutics and promote the development of tailored health products for the African population.

Therefore, this workforce development programme will have a significant catalytic role in stimulating local biomanufacturing by providing hands-on training and competency building,” says Dr Santosh Ramchuran, CSIR Research Group Leader: Bioprocess Technologies.

This grant will support local training and workforce development for the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients, biopharmaceuticals and vaccines on the African continent. The investment will also contribute to the modernisation of infrastructure and equipment that are key to building a robust local biomanufacturing capability.

“The grant from the Gates Foundation will allow for the expansion of the existing microbial production facility and the establishment of bench-scale production using mammalian cell-culture systems. This is a key focus area for us because, quite often, lead biopharmaceuticals discovered in Africa remain in the research and development phase and never reach commercial reality,” Ramchuran says.

“This work, which will support product development, is in keeping with the CSIR’s role in research translation and innovation – we provide knowledge, skills and infrastructure to drive industrial sustainability in the Biotech sector,” he added.

The initiative aims for black female candidates and applicants from other African countries to make up most of those who will benefit from the programme.

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STAFF REPORTER

THE University of Cape Town (UCT) has launched ‘The University of the Future’ (UoF) project, which initiative aims to create a vibrant and modern campus designed to attract talent, foster community engagement, and support UCT’s vision of a fair and just society. 

The event was simultaneously live-streamed to an online audience. It began with a video introducing the project. In the video, the project steering committee chairperson Professor Salome Maswime (also the head of the Global Surgery Division in the Faculty of Health Sciences), asked viewers to consider the question: what will UCT’s spaces, places, services and functions look like in 2034?

The Programme Director, Professor Graham Fieggen, Head of the Division of Neurosurgery and a member of the project steering committee, pointed out that it is difficult to make predictions about the future. Referring to a quote by Thomas Sankara (former President of Burkina Faso) referenced in the introductory video, Professor Fieggen said that we need “the courage and extreme clarity today to invent our future”.

UCT’s Chief Financial Officer, Vincent Motholo, said the UoF project brings about “hopefulness for the future”.

Vice-Chancellor (Interim) Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy delivered the keynote address.

“All of us who have been attracted to be at UCT should be able to be accommodated and to work in spaces in which we are able to thrive.”

Professor Reddy said that the UoF project had to do with physical infrastructure, which is “an absolutely central consideration in the planning of the university”. He said that in the longer run, how we plan and develop our critical infrastructure will determine whether we will meet our objectives. It is, therefore, important that we get this right.

“All of us who have been attracted to be here [at UCT] should be able to be accommodated and to work in spaces in which we can thrive.”

The VC (Interim) stated that the project draws inspiration from Vision 2030 strategy, which seeks to unleash human potential for a fair and just society. At the core of the UoF project is a compelling vision: to establish an enabling environment that unlocks human potential. UCT aims to create spaces, services and functions that empower students, staff and the broader community to thrive and contribute to society’s betterment.

The project’s strategic importance is recognised by the UCT Council, which supports its vision of a modern and striking campus capable of attracting top talent, local businesses, donors, and industry interest.

Reddy thanked the members of the project steering committee for their hard work, which has brought the university to this point. The committee boasts diverse representation from UCT, including academic and administrative staff, student representatives, unions, and the Cape Town community. This inclusive approach ensures that the project’s outcomes align with the university’s and its stakeholders’ aspirations.

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STAFF REPORTER

BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga, supported by DBE senior managers, provided a comprehensive briefing to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on the recently released Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) for 2021, in which 57 countries participated.

“Through PIRLS, the Department heeds the National Development Plan (NDP) call for South Africa to participate in international benchmarking against the best systems in the world to improve education outcomes, and not to compete, as reading comprehension and performance are interlinked.

These findings were complemented by initial insights on reading literacy from the Early Learning National Assessment (ELNA) in Grade 1 for emerging literary skills and the national Systemic Evaluation study in Grade 3, which have demonstrated the severity of learning losses suffered globally due to COVID-19”, the Minister said.

During the virtual briefing, Ms Mbinqo-Gigaba, Committee Chairperson, said that South Africans were concerned about the PIRLS findings as learners cannot read for meaning.

“A reading culture should be nurtured in the early years, with classrooms providing learners with adequate reading resources in their various home languages to develop language and comprehension skills for all indigenous languages.”

A total of 12,426 Grade 4 learners in 321 schools and 9,317 Grade 6 learners in 253 schools were assessed. Grade 4 learners were representative of the 11 official languages and nine provinces, whilst the Grade 6 learners only represented Afrikaans and English.

South Africa’s trend score from 2016 dropped significantly from 320 to 288 (a difference of 32 points). 81% of Grade 4 and 56% of Grade 6 learners did not reach the benchmark of 400 points. Grade 6 learners scored 384 points, with Afrikaans scoring an average of 456. The best-performing language was Afrikaans (387), and the lowest was Setswana (211). The Western Cape had the highest scores. The findings also indicated that girls achieved higher reading literacy scores than boys.

Dr Mark Chetty, Director for National Assessment at the DBE, delivered the presentation to the Committee, saying reading culture and literacy are interrelated; both context and complexity must be highlighted for decoding and language comprehension to organise thoughts, evaluate information and conclude to analyse text to improve reading for meaning across all academic subjects.

Chetty indicated that, in the future, the PIRLS findings will be analysed, and a detailed diagnostic report will be published. In addition, the DBE will be reviewing the National Integrated Reading Plan and reading literacy progress will be tracked through the Thrive by Five Index, measuring early learning, ELNA, tracking school readiness, a reading survey to track foundational reading skills in Grades 1 – 3; and systemic evaluation to calculate the outcome of reading comprehension”.

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