Fort Hare university to oppose application to thwart SIU investigation

The University of Fort Hare says it will be opposing Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane’s application to stop the SIU investigation into the university.

This after Mabuyane filed papers to declare President Cyril Ramaphosa’s SIU proclamation to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration unconstitutional and invalid.

The university is cited as third respondent in the matter, and the presidency and SIU are first and second respondents, respectively.

The proclamation, signed in August 2022, seeks to investigate any unlawful or improper conduct by the officials, employees, service providers, suppliers to the university, and also Mabuyane’s admission at the university.

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“The SIU will investigate allegations of maladministration in the awarding of Honours degrees, mismanagement of funds and sourcing of public servants for study into various Faculty programmes by an individual for personal gain,” reads the SIU statement.

President ‘made an error’

In court papers, Mabuyane argues that the president “made an error of law by failing to understand the ambit of his powers and his discretion under the SIU Act, the president cannot authorise the SIU to investigate academic issues and affairs of a university”.

“I have been wrongly included in the ambit of the investigations in terms of the Proclamation because I was once admitted and registered for a master’s programme in Fort Hare’s Faculty of Public Administration. But even this is not a rational basis for investigating me.”

READ MORE: ‘The president made an error’ – Mabuyane challenges SIU’s Fort Hare investigation

Fort Hare will defend the matter

In a statement on Friday, Fort Hare’s vice-chancellor and principal Professor Sakhela Buhlungu said the university would work with law enforcement agencies to root out corruption at the institution.

“The Presidential Proclamation on the SIU and the UFH is no indictment of the university’s academic project and the standing of our qualifications. The accreditation and quality of UFH programmes have always been and remain beyond reproach. Instead, the proclamation targets very specific irregular practices at the Bhisho campus involving the department of public administration,” said Buhlungu.

“Since January 2021, extensive stakeholder consultation took place to conceive a collective and shared strategic plan and vision ‘Towards a Decade of Renewal, 2022-2026” which was approved by Council at the end of that year.

“Following this, the university has been implementing a multi-stakeholder mandate to restore the university’s standing and reputation. Internal and external investigation enable the university to understand, examine and address matters that have adversely affected the institution in the past.”

It is for this reason that the university will work law enforcement agencies.

“The university has therefore taken a decision to oppose the application to thwart the SIU investigation and will defend the matter in the High Court.”

Spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago told the SABC on Thursday evening that the SIU, which is the second respondent in the matter, would defend the matter.

“We are saying that the investigation on Fort Hare will continue,” he was quoted as saying.