University of SA principal Barney Pityana on Tuesday denied the Mail&Guardian’s claims that he was squandering University of South Africa (Unisa) funds, saying the report was part of a racist campaign to discredit him and other black university leaders.
“It has never been my practice to demand any more than I am entitled to,” Pityana told reporters in Pretoria.
“It is evident that there is a campaign underway.”
He accused the Mail&Guardian newspaper and journalist David Macfarlane of conspiring with nameless and faceless individuals “who have not been able to win support for their views and activities within the university”.
The newspaper hit back at Pityana’s claims, saying it “deplored” the personal attack on their education reporter.
“We also note Pityana’s threat to sue the newspaper and Macfarlane for its front-cover article last week on his spending habits, and past articles by Macfarlane on the university,” the newspaper said in a statement this morning.
“Macfarlane is an experienced journalist of the highest integrity with a sure knowledge of his field. The Mail&Guardian stands by his story, and will defend any defamation action brought by Pityana. Given that Pityana publicly called Macfarlane a fraud and racist who is leading an anti-transformation conspiracy against the university’s leadership, and compared him to the ‘security police of the past’, he and the newspaper are considering their own legal options,” said the statement.
“We consider Pityana’s impetuous behaviour unbecoming of the leader of one of South Africa’s major educational institutions. His press conference, and attempts to racialise the issue, should be viewed as a diversionary tactic,” concluded the statement.
Pityana said Macfarlane’s article had been directed at undermining the authority of council and management at Unisa, and that “the campaign is designed to cast the university in a negative light and harm its national and international reputation”.
“There is in this a not-so-veiled racist purpose. It suggests that the black leadership of the university are incompetent, dishonest and cannot be trusted with the governance and management of the university,” said Pityana’s statement.
Pityana said the university’s attorneys had been instructed to institute immediate libel action against Macfarlane, the Mail&Guardian, and “any other newspapers that publish defamatory material”.
The newspaper last week reported that Unisa had to extricate itself from the sale of its official principal’s residence at a cost of R1,7-million in order for Pityana to occupy the property. Renovations to the residence, Cloghereen, would cost about R2-million.
It also reported that refurbishment of Pityana’s offices on campus would cost R1,5-million, and said he had received flak from “Unisa insiders” for failing to curb lavish expenditure trends.
These included an imminent trip to Mauritius for most of the council and management, Pityana and council chairman McCaps Motimele flying first class, a senior management team that has nearly doubled in recent months and earned top salaries, a R200 000 inauguration ceremony for the principal, and legal fees for Unisa’s case against the government concerning its merger with two other institutions.
Pityana on Tuesday said a probe investigation into the sale of Cloghereen found that it had not been sold on the most favourable terms, and that it would be hard, if not impossible, to find a comparable replacement.
The council executive committee subsequently accepted a recommendation that it would be in the university’s best interests to retain the property, “and to manage it in a manner which would make up for the cancellation fee and restoration expenditure.”
On the restoration costs, he said the property had been neglected for a long time, and the house was not ready for occupation.
Pityana said it was normal for senior executives to refurbish their offices to their taste.
“It so happens that at Unisa, not only do we have rather drab office suites for senior executives, no improvements had been done in the last 20 years.
“Unisa in fact performs very badly compared to the facilities available to other university principals in this country. The principal’s suites must communicate the message he seeks to convey.
“I am determined that the whole ambience and feel of the place should reflect a different character and an ‘ubuntu’ ethos.”
No final decision had been taken on the refurbishment of the offices, and no amount has been set aside.
The principal said he habitually travelled economy class on domestic flights and all flights less than four hours away.
“I take an A-grade care for hire, and I never stay in expensive hotels. I do this out of conviction. So any allegations in this regard are without substance.”
Turning to the claims of staff increases, Pityana said employee numbers in the principal’s office had in fact been reduced since he took office, adding that salaries and benefits were determined by council.
The Mauritius trip, he said, was nothing extravagant. It was for a graduation ceremony on June 22. All such ceremonies were attended by executive management, the chancellor, and a council member.
Pityana also defended the expenditure on litigation, saying it was the university’s constitutional right to defend itself in court.
Unisa would never be shaken or intimidated in its determination to move towards progress and transformation, the principal said.
He lashed out at Macfarlane, and concluded his address by saying: “He has got in me and this university a foe for life”. – Staff reporter, Sapa
Read the story: Barney’s binge spending