Ivor Powell
The University of the Witwaters-rand is embroiled in a major embarrassment after it emerged that one of its distinguished research fellows was serving as representative for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF while he was accredited to represent the university.
As a visiting research professor in the university’s political science department, Zimbabwean academic Professor Jonathan Moyo was empowered to represent the university in fund-raising exercises overseas.
At the same time, however, he has apparently been “moonlighting” – first as a member of Zimbabwe’s discredited constitutional review commission, and then, over the period of the country’s elections, as chief representative for Zanu-PF.
Last week the university sent a letter to Moyo suggesting he could be guilty of “abscondment”. The university wants to know whether Moyo has been on the Zanu-PF payroll at the same time as being in the university’s employ. If this is established, Moyo could face disciplinary proceedings and legal action for breach of contract.
However, Wits political science head Tom Lodge said the letter was merely seeking clarity. “It is only if Jonathan has been receiving payment for representing Zanu-PF that it becomes an immediate problem for the university. If he were working for Zanu-PF while still employed by Wits, disciplinary action could be brought against him.”
Moyo began his association with the university at the beginning of 1998 and was on its payroll until the end of last year. He was recruited to pursue an ambitious research project looking at shifting patterns of African political leadership. Lodge said the early parts of the project had been satisfactorily handled.
Moyo “was a catch for any institution”, Lodge said. “He is a respected scholar and he came with a three-year fellowship with the Ford Foundation under his belt.”
Lodge confirmed that in pursuing his research, Moyo had travelled extensively overseas on fund-raising trips. Not much funding was actually secured for the project – although, Lodge insisted, “there is no immediate suspicion of impropriety in fund-raising”.
However, other sources said eyebrows were raised when it came to light that Moyo had acquired a mansion in the highly priced Johannesburg suburb of Saxonwold that was beyong the reach of the usual academic salary. The Mail & Guardian was unable to reach Moyo for comment.
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