Maladministration, collapse of governance among concerns at University of Limpopo

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training has called for the appointment of an independent assessor at the University of Limpopo.

The appointment follows concerns about governance collapse, management issues, and human resources problems at the institution.

University of Limpopo ‘disrespectful’ to parliament

This call comes after the university failed to adequately respond to parliamentary questions during a meeting on 20 November 2024, where representatives were unable to answer numerous questions posed by members of parliament (MPs).

Despite being given a seven-day grace period to submit written responses by 27 November, the institution failed to provide answers, even after multiple follow-ups by the committee.

Committee Chairperson Tebogo Letsie on Thursday said the university’s refusal to engage with parliamentary questions demonstrated disrespect for the institution.

“The committee has also received submissions from whistleblowers after we met with the university, which shows that those who made those submissions finally felt safe to raise their concerns regarding how that institution is managed,” Letsie said.

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Governance concerns

Three primary issues have led the committee to believe there has been a collapse in governance at the University of Limpopo.

These include the appointment of the vice-chancellor beyond the maximum two terms as stipulated in the institutional statute sections 11 and 12.

Another concern was the extension of the council chair’s appointment beyond two consecutive terms, contrary to institutional statute section 26 subsection 8.

Additionally, the committee noted the continuing appointment of an acting institutional forum without proper elections since 2017.

Letsie said the committee plans to use mechanisms guided by the Higher Education Act Section 44 and 45 to acquire the answers they need.

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Legal challenges and financial implications

The committee expressed serious concern about the university’s legal expenditure.

“The committee has noted with concern, the number of legal cases that university has embarked on and lost in different courts of this country.

“The university has also engaged on the cancellation of individual students, who upon taking the university to court, challenging them and reviewing their qualifications. The students have won those cases against the university, costing the University of Limpopo millions of rands that could have been used to improve its infrastructure,” Letsie told the parliamentary committee.

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