South Africa’s highest paid vice-chancellor, Mangosuthu University of Technology’s (MUT) Aaron Ndlovu, allegedly had special software illegally installed to secretly record the phone conversations of 20 staff members, an official investigation has found.
Many of these staff members had co-operated with an earlier investigation of the university’s affairs or were prominent in campus disruptions, and many were dismissed or quit under duress.
The investigation of MUT’s governance, management and staff relations was led by Vincent Maphai at the university council’s request.
The report, leaked to the Mail & Guardian, accuses the council of allowing Ndlovu to create a culture pervaded by ‘fear of injustice, acts of retribution and victimisation”, while there was favouritism and unprocedural promotions and appointments.
Intimidation of dissenting staff and curtailment of academic freedom were also common, including the allegedly paranoid pursuit of critics, the uneven use of suspension and disciplinary procedures, and illegal entrapment.
The report says Ndlovu had the right to alter sanctions recommended by disciplinary hearings.
‘Almost without exception the many people who made verbal or written submissions indicated that absolute compliance with the vice-chancellor’s wishes was a prerequisite for continued employment.’
Ndlovu, put on forced leave four months ago, was suspended this week by the council, which promised a forensic investigation. The council will appoint an administrator to run the campus, as recommended by the Maphai report.
The report says Ndlovu installed a system enabling him to personally watch people’s movements in and out of the building housing his office.
Few people entered his office, and most interactions with staff and visitors occurred in rooms adjacent to his ‘electronically secured inner sanctum”.
Staff believed interviews were subject to audio or visual surveillance.
The assessors made numerous attempts to interview Ndlovu, but say he set conditions that could not be met. It is understood that he wanted a list of appointments the assessors had with staff and transcripts of interviews.
The report also found:
- The council failed to exercise sufficient responsibility for overseeing MUT’s affairs and took direction from Ndlovu;
- The university has no audit committee or internal audit function;
- Council members were prevented from seeing the university’s financial statements — while these were signed off by the council chairperson and the chairperson of the finance committee;
- There was no evidence of a functioning tender committee and no minutes after February 2006, even though numerous contracts had since been awarded or renewed; and
- Several transactions deserved further investigation.
It says some academics passed students who should have been failed because of pressure from Ndlovu, while some of the weakest students were given ‘internships” in the administration.
The human resources department risked collapse because of the removal or resignation of senior staff, while the employment of students compromised the finance department.
Ndlovu was appointed as vice-chancellor of Mangosuthu Technikon in 1997, and in September 1999 an independent assessor appointed by former education minister Kader Asmal recommended he be fired. A council resolution lifted his suspension.
This week Ndlovu said the Maphai investigation ‘should have been an open inquiry” and that he wanted the details of complainants so that he could cross-examine staff on their claims.
‘I never had the opportunity to face my accusers. This was an opportuntiy for gossiping and backbiting,” he said.
He said surveillance cameras were installed for security purposes and phone conversations recorded in the divisions of marketing, finance and human resources to boost customer care, after complaints from the public.
He said he had nothing to hide, and ‘would welcome a disciplinary inquiry if it gets to that”. He was the longest-serving vice-chancellor, having entered his twelfth year.