Some University of South Africa (Unisa) staff members downloaded pornographic material from the internet and claimed overtime payment for the time spent watching that, principal Dr Barney Pityana said on Friday.
”The culture that makes it possible and I suspect acceptable for some staff to spend many hours downloading pornographic material, must end,” he said at the release of the university’s annual report for 2001.
”I am advised that some of them even dare to take overtime for the sole purpose of watching pornographic sites on the internet for which they are paid by the university.”
Referring to other malpractices, Pityana cited the example of a staff member who apparently has an arrangement with a service station shop to buy groceries with a Unisa petrol card.
He denounced the abuse of sick leave, overtime, university facilities like telephones and vehicles and the ”theft and pillaging of valuable computer equipment that has become endemic at Unisa.
”The reports of corrupt practices in some of our departments are alarming. We must be very careful about temporary, contract appointments and the easy unjustified hiring of consultants to perform duties for which there are people in post,” Pityana said.
He said there was much at Unisa to be proud of.
”But all our efforts could be put to nought by the activities of a few among us who relish to wallow in pathological negativity, the cultured malcontents in our midst.”
The Unisa council had tasked the management to propose strategies for transformation, which it believed should deal with a range of issues, including racial and sexual harassment, Pityana said.
”Management wishes to reassure all members of staff that racism and sexual harassment will not be tolerated. Every effort will be directed at ensuring equality of treatment, transparent processes and fair and just outcomes.”
Last week the university council decided not to pay the costs of its chairman, McCaps Motimele, following the settlement of a sexual harassment claim by former Unisa academic Professor Margaret Orr.
After a battle of more than two years, the claim for damages was settled for an amount of R160 000 earlier this month. Motimele was also ordered to pay both parties’ legal costs, reportedly around R600 000.
It was announced at the council meeting that Motimele would resign as chairman with effect from the end of November.
On Friday, Pityana said Motimele’s departure ”will surely mark the end of an era… It will not be the end, however, of the advancement of transformation at Unisa.”
He said the management knew that its internal systems of grievance management had to be fair and effective and that peer intervention for conflict management had to be encouraged.
”If we adopt that approach, we shall contribute greatly to avoiding the enormous cost of litigation that the university has been incurring in the last couple of years. That, it must be stated, has been a drain on the resources of the university.”
According to Unisa’s financial statements, its legal costs for 2001 amounted to nearly R5,2-million, and that for 2000 to R5,9-million. Unisa has been involved in a number of prominent legal wrangles recently. Some of them are still continuing.
Orr has asked the Labour Court to order Unisa to pay her R500 000. She claims the university constructively dismissed her and unfairly discriminated against her.
Former acting principal Prof Simon Maimela has started proceedings to have Pityana’s appointment set aside.
In June the Pretoria High Court ordered that the appointment of the vice dean of the theology faculty be set aside. The applicant was an unsuccessful candidate, Dr McGlory Speckman, who claimed there was interference with his appointment.
Law professor Annél van Aswegen, who claimed she was unjustly excluded from a post as deputy principal, obtained an interdict against the council preventing it from making the appointment.
The council last week decided to drop its application against Education Minister Kader Asmal to have Unisa’s merger with Technikon SA (TSA) and Vista University’s Distance Education Campus (Vudec) set aside.
Pityana on Friday said Asmal had told the council he wanted the merger to become effective on January 1, 2003.
”He understood that January 1 is probably not the most suitable date.”
Asmal had asked the three institutions to propose a date, name, delivery sites and nominate interim council members by October, Pityana said.
”Hopefully there will be a common submission by the three institutions.”
They might together hire a marketing consultant to look at the name issue, he said.
”The improved relationships between Unisa and our partners at TSA and Vudec as well as with the minister… have opened the way towards a more positive approach to the merger.” – Sapa