Another senior Unizulu executive shown the door
The DVC claimed in statements that she was ‘victimised’ and ‘targeted’ by Vice Chancellor Xoliswa Mtose and was eventually ‘forced’ to resign due to the ‘emotional abuse’ she suffered.
A TOP University of Zululand executive has accepted a substantial settlement offer from the institution amid disputes over the termination of her employment.
The executive agreed to the settlement offer on Friday following intensive negotiations by attorneys before a CCMA Commissioner in Richards Bay.
She chose not to be named and confidentiality clauses in the settlement agreement prevent her from disclosing any facts about her case.
The Zululand Observer was last Thursday granted an application to sit in on the process after arguing it was in the public interest and formed part on an ongoing investigation by journalists into the affairs of the university.
The DVC claimed in statements that she was ‘victimised’ and ‘targeted’ by Vice Chancellor Xoliswa Mtose and was eventually ‘forced’ to resign due to the ‘emotional abuse’ she suffered.
The university strongly denied the allegations in responding arguments when the executive took legal action, claiming constructive dismissal.
‘Professor Mtose is committed to meeting the vision and mission of the university and those who are not in sync with this aspiration through non-performance or actions which breach the university’s disciplinary code will be dealt with as swiftly and expeditiously as possible,’ Deputy Vice Chancellor for Institutional Support, Professor Neil Garrod said on Wednesday.
‘The official in question certainly did not, prior to her resignation, raise any allegations of victimization as alleged at all.
‘On reading the witness statements prepared by the university, she decided that it was in her best interest to resolve the matter and, for cost and pragmatism, the university agreed to a small out of court settlement.’
Witch-hunt?
Last year the ZO reported on a number of top tier staff who were dismissed or resigned under dubious circumstances at the university and what seems to be a ‘my way or the highway’ attitude from top levels of management.
Accusations were that this contributed to a mass exodus of highly qualified individuals.
‘You may wish to elucidate on what you mean precisely by people ‘blocking Professor Mtose’s path’,’ Prof Garrod said in response to questions surrounding allegations that this attitude stemmed directly from the office of the Vice Chancellor.
‘This is so nebulous as to be unanswerable at the moment.’
Between April and May last year, Deputy Vice Chancellor Rob Midgley, Dean of Students Zethu Mkhize, Director of Finance Cindy Nsibande, Acting Head of the Agricultural Department, Dr GE Zharare and Head of the Richards Bay Campus Dr Isaac Machi were all suspended and their employment later terminated by different means.
The Zululand Observer can confirm that former Director of Finance Cindy Nsibande has been on suspension with full pay, a package of more than R1-million a year, since April 2015 with her disciplinary hearing only taking place this week.
‘All of these cases (save the latest case) were all initiated prior to Professor Mtose taking up the acting Vice Chancellor position, never mind before her appointment as Vice Chancellor,’ said Prof Garrod.
‘During her tenure she has resolved most of these outstanding issues.
‘This has been through agreements which are confidential on both sides.
‘Remaining unresolved cases are sub judice and, therefore, we cannot comment further at this stage.
‘Where there are legal cases involved, the requisite information is already in the public domain.’
Historical
The report stated that no valid reasons were given for the sudden shake-up resulting in so many officials getting the boot, while insiders believed it was part of a politically motivated witch-hunt.
Furthermore, sources have alleged the 2015 suspensions related to the mysterious disappearance of just over R11-million early last year.
The university confirmed at the time an investigation was ongoing, but it seems no outcome was reached.
‘People are just disappearing and no one tells us what is happening. Others have been appointed in acting positions,’ a source was quoted as saying.
Staff issues at the university again made headlines recently when it emerged that another top executive, CFO Josephine Naicker, was challenging her suspension in court.
Naicker’s employment has since been terminated and she is planning to challenge a ruling by the Durban Labour Court dismissing her application for relief for what she believed was a protected disclosure regarding several issues relating to financial management, chief among which was the purchase of nine homes for senior executives at the exclusive Zini River Estate in Mtunzini for more than R24-million earlier this year.
The university has asserted the purchases were for the purpose of ‘retaining and attracting top executives’ to Unizulu, a statement that now seems at direct odds with the short-lived tenure of the executive with a substantial record in South African academics.
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