University of South Africa (UNISA) vice-principal of tuition Professor Simon Maimela has been dismissed, Unisa said on Monday.
Maimela, who had been with the university for more than 21 years, was found guilty of misconduct in terms of the staff disciplinary code in March, the university said in a statement.
”The crux of the matter is that he refused to accept the authority of Dr (Barney) Pityana (the principal),” university representative Doreen Gough said.
The punishment imposed on him at that time was dismissal, but this was suspended for two years on a number of conditions, the statement said.
”One of the conditions was that Professor Maimela had to unconditionally accept Dr Pityana’s authority and appointment as principal and vice-chancellor. Professor Maimela was also required to apologise to council and to Dr Pityana.”
In terms the disciplinary committee’s ruling, Maimela had to write letters to the council and to Pityana in which he apologised and indicated his acceptance of Pityana’s appointment and authority.
Maimela had complied with this by the due date, Unisa said.
”On 20 March council accepted the disciplinary committee decision and the fact that Professor Maimela had complied with the conditions. However, Professor Maimela continued with the court application against the university to have Dr Pityana’s appointment as principal and vice-chancellor reviewed and set aside.
”The university attorneys put to him in writing that such action was materially non-compliant with the conditions imposed on him by the disciplinary committee and that it contradicted what Professor Maimela stated in his letters to council and Dr Pityana.”
In a letter to the university council on May 3, Maimela offered to withdraw his case against the council on condition that he be reinstated as vice-principal of tuition, the statement said.
”Council decided Professor Maimela had not met the conditions set by the disciplinary committee and it dismissed him with effect from 8 May, 2002,” Unisa said.
Pityana’s appointment, for a full five-year term, came despite a request by Education Minister Kader Asmal that no senior long-term appointments be made pending Unisa’s merger with Technikon SA and the Vista University Distance Education Campus.
At the end of November last year, council chairman McCaps Motimele wrote a letter to Maimela, saying he should return to his previous position and that Pityana would start as principal immediately.
Maimela contested this, saying he could only be dismissed as acting rector by the full council.
He started court proceedings to have Pityana’s appointment, which he claimed was irregular, set aside.
Maimela was suspended in December last year after he allegedly gave instructions that the locks of Motimele’s office be replaced, and claimed that he was still the rector.
Maimela could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday. ? Sapa