Paul Kirk
The vice-chancellor of the University of Durban Westville (UDW), Dr Mapule Ramashala, is hanging tough, refusing to resign or retire despite a motion of no confidence lodged against her and a mass exodus of academics.
This week UDW lost two more senior academics, Professors John Daniel and Adam Habib, who are both world-renowned political scientists.
Although the Mail & Guardian could not contact Daniel, senior officials at UDW’s human resources department said it is common knowledge that he resigned largely due to Ramashala’s management style.
The entire humanities department at UDW now has fewer than five professors. Prior to Ramashala’s tenure, the university had more than 12. In the past year the number of lecturers in the political science department has decreased from seven to two.
Ramashala said: “The transformation occurring at our higher education institutions can be very unsettling for some. Many more academics will come and go as the current flux plays itself out.
“We are pleased that we have academics that are sought-after at other institutions. The circulation of scholars is hardly a new phenomenon at our country’s universities.”
She said in recent years, UDW had successfully attracted new academics from abroad in order to compensate for the losses.
Habib, who is chair of the political science department, raised the issue of the exodus of academic staff more than six months ago at a university council meeting.
He said this week: “The university is in serious crisis. Unless something is done urgently we may soon reach the point of no return.” He refused to discuss Ramashala.
Habib, speaking in his personal capacity, said he was disillusioned about UDW. He was leaving because he had better job offers and he believed the academy of the university was no longer sufficiently empowered to make decisions on its future.
Many academics interviewed this week branded Ramashala as “autocratic” and “undemocratic”.
When a vote of no confidence in Ramashala was passed by the university senate made up largely of academics last year, her autocratic style of management featured strongly in complaints.
Ramashala, a former commissioner on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, was appointed vice-chancellor of UDW although she was not originally in the running. In 1996, 11 out of 12 votes on the selection committee were cast in favour of former Azanian People’s Organisation president Itumeleng Mosala.
However, the university council where academics, student and worker representatives are joined by people outside the university, including members appointed by the education minister did not accept the nomination.
Students launched mass action to protest. Controversial security boss Norman Reeves was called in and order restored with the liberal use of armoured vehicles and tear gas.
Next, highly controversial Durban lawyer Linda Zama was appointed to help run a commission of inquiry into the violence, and was paid R1-million of the R6-million cost of the inquiry. At the time, she had been struck off the roll of attorneys for alleged theft from a trust fund.
Her inquiry painted a gloomy picture. Zama recommended the suspension of several Combined Staff Association (Comsa) office bearers for involvement in unruly behaviour.
Two of the suspended Comsa office bearers, former Comsa president Prea Banwari and former Comsa general secretary Evan Mantzari, are still suspended on full pay, more than three years later.
After the commission completed its work, Ramashala was appointed vice-chancellor by President Thabo Mbeki. She celebrated by throwing a R600 000 inaugural party. Since then she has lurched from one crisis to the next.
Almost immediately after being appointed she began to use the honorific professor a title that incensed many academics. In conventional practice in South Africa, a professor is the highest-ranking academic in a university department. Upon resignation, the title falls away.
Ramashala is not the head of a university department at UDW nor has she ever been. Instead she uses the honorific as she studied in America and earned the title of associate or assistant professor there.
Last year Ramashala, who is the only black female vice-chancellor of a university in the country, suffered a humiliating and almost unprecedented blow when her own senate passed a vote of no confidence.
The M&G has a copy of the student representative council (SRC) submission in support of the vote of no confidence: “We believe that our submission that Professor Ramashala is unfit to hold this position at our institution is based on an objective assessment of the facts of her tenure.” The submission slams her for having: “A style of management which is autocratic, unaccountable, divisive, demoralising, confrontational, racialistic and given to the generation of cliques.”
Last year Ramashala began to issue regulations by circular. Circular number 9 prevented students gathering in groups of more than 15.
As soon as it was issued, the SRC obtained an urgent high court interdict forcing the university to withdraw the circular.
However, a little while later, Ramashala sought a series of interdicts against the SRC. She attempted to interdict the students from murdering, assaulting and intimidating. She lost the case.
Ramashala then called in the police to “restore order”. Among other things, she instructed police and private security firms to prevent gatherings of more than 15 people.
Michael Makhabane, a chemistry student, was unfortunate enough to have been part of a group larger than 15. He was killed by a freak shot from a police shotgun loaded with ammunition that is supposed to be non-lethal.
A representative for the minister of education, Molatwane Likhethe, asked the M&G to fax and e-mail a list of questions relating to Ramashala. These were not answered at the time of going to the press.
UDW representative Kiru Naidoo confirmed that the senate “expressed criticisms of the vice-chancellor’s leadership” and said after the vote of no confidence was passed the council appointed an independent committee to evaluate the accuracy of the concerns raised. These findings would be released on June 9.
Naidoo said Ramashala’s contract expires late next year.