Philippa Garson
THE crisis at Wits University around suspended deputy vice-chancellor Malegapuru Makgoba has taken on national proportions as direct ministerial intervention becomes increasingly
Yesterday Minister Sibusiso Bengu met with vice-chancellor Robert Charlton and other university stakeholders in an attempt to put the brakes on Wits’ rollercoaster ride into disaster. Political squabbles have now erupted between the African National Congress, which supports ministerial intervention, and the Democratic Party and Inkatha Freedom Party, which fiercely reject it.
Despite the complexities of the crisis, what began as an attempt by 13 senior academics to oust Makgoba, on grounds of mismanagement, bringing Wits’ name into disrepute and misrepresenation of his academic credentials, is translating into a crude fight for control of the university between an “old guard” and a “new guard”.
More clouds gathered on the troubled campus when Makgoba, who has rejected the international tribunal to be held in late January on the allegations against him, released his own dossier drawn from the personal files of the 13 academics last week, accusing them of tax evasion, dipping into a slush fund, nepotism and poor academic performances. He also provided a partial defence on the authenticity of some of the claims in his CV.
The university administration has rejected outright the allegations of tax evasion and the existence of a slush fund, and the 13 academics have described the allegations against them as ranging “from the merely spurious to the outright ludicrous”.
Some believe Makgoba has lost the moral high ground in resorting to underhand methods to defame his detractors — something Charles van Onselen, one of the 13, has also been accused of.
Meanwhile Makgoba, who was this week suspended to prevent “futher invasions” of the privacy of the university’s academic staff, and who is taking legal action against the university, has threatened to release “more juicy” information he claims to have.
The university administration is desperately trying to resolve the crisis by its own rules and protocol. But Makgoba’s blatant defiance of this protocol, a defiance backed by his supporters — a significant body of black staff and students disaffected by the slow pace of change — renders such attempts ineffectual. There is now a growing clamour for the intervention of independent mediators.
Although Bengu has denied any desire to tamper with the university’s autonomy, the apparent inability of its leadership to contain the crisis would increase the legitimacy of outside intervention. ANC deputy secretary general Cheryl Carolus said this week that while the organisation wanted to protect the university’s autonomy, the crisis had been badly handled. “We must not allow Wits to self-destruct,” she said.
Commented Bengu’s spokesman Lincoln Mali: “There are calls for our direction on the one hand and a Ohands off’ approach on the other. We have always taken the view that our tertiary institutions are autonomous, but we have a responsibility to ensure that things run normally.” He said proposals ranged from independent mediation to inclusive meetings to arrive at a resolution. Some, he said, were calling for Charlton to step down.
Time is running out for a resolution to the crisis before students return to campus next year, and the SRC, South African Students Congress and National Education Health and Allied Workers Union have threatened mass action if Bengu does not intervene and if the 13 academics are not also suspended.