OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday 11.00am.
THE University of South Africa (Unisa) has reinstated Namibian academic Joe Diescho who was gagged and demoted after being accused of publicly criticising the university.
A commission of enquiry originally found that the decision by former principal and vice-chancellor, Marinus Wiechers, to axe Diescho was “legally and morally incorrect”. Diescho, the most senior black administrator at Unisa, was public relations director at the time.
In two press interviews in 1997 he echoed growing campus criticism of the slow pace of change at the university. He was subsequently ordered not to speak to the media and was axed from his second post as deputy director of the larger department of corporate communication and marketing.
In an internal statement at the end of last week, Unisa said South Africa’s Minister of Education had overturned Diescho’s dismissal. Professor Anthony Melck, acting principal and vice-chancellor, said the university had appointed a committee of inquiry to review the events which led to Diescho’s axing.
The council has now accepted the findings of the two committees. These were that Wiechers had acted beyond his authority in dismissing Diescho, that the minister’s actions in reinstating Diescho were lawful and appropriate, that Diescho’s job be defined more clearly and that the activities and structure of the department of corporate communication and marketing be reconsidered.
The council has apologised to Diescho. — The Namibian