Maladministration allegations levelled against UL seniors

University of Limpopo (UL) Vice-Chancellor Mahlo Mokgalong and two senior officials are apparently in hot water following a report by Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane into allegations of maladministration and corruption. She recommended that action be taken against the three for improperly altering the UL medical school curriculum at a cost of more than R2,3 million to the institution.
They reportedly acquired the services of Helen Molatoli of Dinamik Institute to implement a programme in the School of Medicine. According to the complainant, AJ Mbokazi, a professor and former Director of the School of Medicine at UL, there was a lot of bewilderment among colleagues as Molatoli was neither qualified in medicine nor an academic and only relied on information from the internet and other books.
In the report he is quoted saying University Quality Officer MA Ngoepe and Executive Dean of Health Sciences Mbambo-Kekana, did not provide the school of health sciences academic staff with an opportunity to question Molatoli’s substandard curriculum. She was paid approximately R3 million in 2015 for unnecessary work, he stated.
The curriculum displayed by Molatoli was not the same as the one accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and Mbokazi allegedly informed the university that he was not in agreement with the tampering of the HPCSA’s approved curriculum. He said he had learnt that the Council on Higher Education (CHE) was surprised when the university submitted a changed curriculum and that Ngoepe and Mbambo-Kekana misrepresented to the CHE by attaching an approval letter from HPCSA which was initially for an original approved curriculum.
He indicated that during a meeting between him, Mokgalong and other officials, he was informed by Mokgalong that he was nothing at the institution and that if he did not want Molatoli’s curriculum he should pack his bags and leave his institution.
The university allegedly implemented the curriculum and the complainant was not provided with a copy and its modules.
Mkhwebane’s findings indicated that the allegation that Mokgalong, Ngoepe and Mbambo-Kekana improperly introduced and implemented an altered curriculum which was not accredited by HPCSA and CHE is substantiated. The university management was not supposed to have deviated from an HPCSA approved medical academic programme, the report read. It went on to say accordingly, the conduct of Mokgalong, Ngoepe and Mbambo-Kekana amounts to improper conduct in terms of section 182 of the constitution and maladministration as envisaged in section 6 of the Public Protector Act.
The report informed that UL paid the service provider a total of R2 398 541,78 for services rendered which constituted an irregular and fruitless expenditure as no proper procurement processes were followed and no value for money was received from the alleged services rendered.
UL Council Chairperson Pandelani Nefolovhodwe emphasised that the council would discuss the report and take steps as directed by Mkhwebane. He added that the council normally sit in September but for this purpose they will push for it to sit earlier.

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za