Parliament demands answers over University of Limpopo leadership standoff

A standoff has ensued between the University of Limpopo (UL) and the parliamentary portfolio committee on higher education after university management failed to explain the extended term of principal and vice-chancellor Prof Mahlo Mokgalong and council chair Pandelani Nefolovhodwe, in violation of university policy.

Additionally, the committee was demanding clarification on the accuracy of last year’s students representative council (SRC) elections, which were conducted electronically amid rumours of rigging.

Now the committee has asked the Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Nobuhle Pamela Nkabane to appoint an independent assessor to probe the university over the matter.

Committes asks minister to appoint independent assessor at University of Limpopo

Mokgalong has been at the university helm since 2003 after Nefolovhodwe’s council extended his terms many times.

He was supposed to serve two terms.

The vice-chancellor told the committee during a meeting on 20 November last year that he had been requested to stay on so that he could mentor his successor.

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Management said it had not found a suitable candidate to succeed Mokgalong.

Nefolovhodwe, a former MP and ex-leader of the Azanian People’s Organisation, was elected for a third term, while the university statute required that the council chair serve only two terms.

The committee was not satisfied with the answers given by management during its appearances on 20 November last year and again on 5 February this year.

Committee not happy with management’s answers

On 21 November it wrote down questions to be answered by the institution, which were not responded to, prompting the committee to issue a subpoena.

Portfolio committee chair Tebogo Letsie said the committee issued the subpoena in terms of the constitution “because they haven’t responded to the questions we asked them orally in the meeting of the 20 November, 2024 and those we sent to them in writing on 21 November, 2024”.

Letsie said the committee wanted clarity as to why Mokgalong had been avice-chancellor for more than the stipulated two terms and Nefolovhodwe was elected for three consecutive terms against the university statute Section 26 subsection 8.

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The university statute provides for two terms maximum with each term not exceeding five years, but Mokgalong is on the fifth term while Nefolovhodwe on the third term in office.

Letsie said they also quizzed top management about the use of electronic elections and the accuracy of the outcomes.

Some alleged the elections, held in September last year, were rigged.

Allegations that elections were rigged

The chair said his committee had sought answers about all the issues in November, but received unsatisfactory responses.

Attempts to get comment from UL proved fruitless.