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Lerato Mbhiza
Unisa has approached the courts on an urgent basis to challenge Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande’s appointment of Professor Ihron Rensburg as the administrator of the institution after Nzimande dissolved the Unisa council.
In a statement, Unisa said the university remains firm on the view that Nzimande’s announcement in a Government Gazette dated 27 October wherein he published the appointment of the administrator, was in contempt of a court order issued on 6 October 2023.
Nzimande said his appointment of the administrator was in line with Section 49B of the Higher Education Act (Act 101 of 19917, as amended.
However, Unisa has contended that the Minister’s actions were premature; the matter had not been finalised and was still before the court.
“The university remains firm on the view that the Minister’s announcement is premature and in contempt of the court order of 6 October 2023 by [Judge Harshila] Kooverjie that interdicted him from placing the university under administration.
“The same order reaffirms the earlier order of [Judge Leicester] Adams of 24 August 2023, which ordered the Minister not to take any decision pending the finalisation of the interdict application by Unisa, and the Minister’s undertaking not to take any decision until the application to review and set aside the independent assessor’s report would have been heard.
“The university is also of the strong view that the announcement of the minister’s decision at the time when our students are in the middle of examinations is ill-timed and insensitive.
Nzimande’s appointment of Rensburg as the administrator comes after the recommendations of independent assessor Professor Themba Mosia and the report of a ministerial task team headed by Vincent Maphai.
Mosia’s report found financial and other maladministration of a serious nature that undermined the university’s effective functioning.
Nzimande’s spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi said the Minister had carefully considered Mosia’s findings and recommendations as well as responses from the council and other stakeholders.
“The assessor’s report followed the report of the ministerial task team of August 2021 into the review of Unisa, which also raised serious concerns about the state of administration and governance as well as the quality and sustainability of Unisa as one of South Africa’s most important universities.
“There are strong overlaps and areas of strategic convergence in the findings and recommendations of the reports of the independent assessor and the ministerial task team,” Mnisi said.
Mnisi added that the ministerial task team concluded that, based on the evidence presented to it, Unisa suffers chronic management failures in many of its key support systems and the council was identified as the root cause of the university’s problems.
Nzimande also dissolved the council of the university.
Rensburg has previously served as the Vice-chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg and as the administrator of the Vaal University of Technology in 2021.
“As Unisa administrator, Prof. Rensburg’s appointment is for a 24-month period,” said Mnisi.
“Rensburg will report to the Minister or any delegated officials in the Department of Higher Education and Training in writing on a biannual basis.
“At the completion of his appointment period, he is expected to submit a written report to the Minister within 30 days”.
INSIDE EDUCATION