Did he lie or didn’t he? University of Durban-Westville (UDW) vice-chancellor Saths Cooper’s various statements about his remuneration package are now at the centre of the governance crisis rocking the conflict-ridden campus.
The Mail & Guardian continues its award-winning ways. Last week the paper won a top-ranking award in the Frewin/ McCall/Mervis competition for newspaper design and production.
Two powerful interest groups at the University of Durban-Westville (UDW) say they are determined that vice-chancellor Cooper should be ousted. But the groups are also at war with each other in the run-up to the UDW’s merger with the University of Natal.
Simmering rebellion at the University of Durban-Westville reached boiling point this week, with powerful university staffers predicting that controversial new vice-chancellor Dr Saths Cooper could soon be looking for altenative employment.
The shock resignation last week of a top University of Durban-Westville (UDW) academic has generated allegations that dictatorial and erratic management on the part of the university’s new vice-chancellor, Dr Saths Cooper, endangers UDW’s impending high-profile merger with the University of Natal.
Education rights were legally tested last week in the first court case in the country involving non-payment of school fees.
The people’s demand that their rights to education be recognised is receiving attention at the highest level of government. President Thabo Mbeki’s spokesperson says the presidency has requested the national Department of Education to engage with the Western Cape education department about Masiphumelele High School.
The assumption that information and communications technology provides a potent antidote to unemployment in South Africa is drawn into serious question by a study released this week.
Racial representivity among teaching staff is lacking in most Gauteng public schools. And close to half of formerly whites-only schools have less than 20% African enrolment, probably because of language and fees policies at these schools.
Acclaimed Indian novelist and activist Arundhati Roy addressed a public meeting of the Palestine Solidarity Committee and the Anti-War Coalition in Johannesburg this week. Afterwards she spoke to David Macfarlane.