The vice-chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and the chairperson of the council have stepped aside from their positions pending investigations into claims of sexual harassment and victimisation.
Vice-chancellor Professor Malegapuru Makgoba has taken a leave of absence, while council chairperson Dr Vincent Maphai stood down, the university council’s vice-chairperson Mac Mia told reporters on Tuesday.
Speaking at the university’s Westville campus, he said the university council had decided to appoint a tribunal to investigate allegations of ”sexual harassment, gender discrimination and victimisation” made by Professor Pumela Msweli-Mbanga, the dean and acting deputy vice-chancellor of the college of law and management.
Mia said both men had offered to step aside of their own accord.
”It was their decision and I think it is right,” he said.
Who will head the tribunal is not clear, but a statement issued by the council said that KwaZulu-Natal Judge President Vuka Tshabalala will be approached to appoint a retired judge to head the tribunal.
Mia also said that a decision announced on Monday to nullify the awarding of a Master of Commerce (MCom) degree to UKZN’s chief financial officer, Professor Kanthan Pillay, had itself been nullified.
In a statement issued on Monday, Makgoba said instructions had been given to university registrar Dr Edith Mneney to ”initiate immediately a due and fair process to nullify the MCom degree”.
Makgoba said he had issued instructions ”that all those implicated in the award of the degree” face disciplinary procedures. He quoted a senate sub-committee recommendation that ”Professor Pillay’s dissertation, his registration as a student and the examination and award of his MCom degree was fatally flawed. It was entirely irregular from beginning to end.”
Mia told Tuesday’s press conference that the tribunal will investigate whether the awarding of Pillay’s degree was irregular and determine ”whether or not there are uniform policies and procedures for the examination and assessment of dissertations and theses at UKZN”.
Mia said he hoped the tribunal will finish its work as soon as possible.
”We don’t want this to be hanging over us for months and months.”
He said neither Maphai nor Makgoba will be on campus during the investigation.
Asked if the findings of the tribunal will be publicised, he said: ”We are operating on the basis of a transparent institution.”
He was also asked about the Myburgh report and why its findings had never been made public. He said: ”I can’t comment on the Myburgh report. I can’t even remember this report.”
Retired judge John Myburgh was appointed in 2005 to investigate allegations of irregularities relating to a 2003 accounting exam. — Sapa