UPDATE: Minister intervenes at Unizulu
They bore a banner that read 'Blade, why do you ignore corruption at University of Zululand?'
AFTER just over two months of more than 500 University of Zululand staff being on strike, the Minister of Higher Education and Training has intervened.
While Blade Nzimande cannot involve himself in a ministerial capacity with labour disputes, a statement issued on Saturday by his spokesperson Harold Maloka said he had decided to step in, in a personal capacity.
‘The minister has met with the Chairperson of Unizulu’s council, Cyril Gamede as well as the president of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) Mzwandile Makwayiba in an attempt to find a solution to the labour dispute at the university,’ Maloka said.
According to the statement, the meetings happened separately at the request of Nzimande, who did so in a bid to assist the two parties to find each other and end the strike which has negatively impacted on the academic programme.
‘The Minister felt that he should play some role in trying to assist the parties even if he is not allowed to do so by law,’ Maloka said.
It has now been agreed that a six member committee, comprising of three members of the University council and three from NEHAWU’s provincial leadership, will be set up to ‘work towards a solution and resumption of the academic programme’.
The statement came after about 30 students from Unizulu gathered outside the Durban ICC centre on Friday, where Minister Nzimande spoke at the World Trade Union Congress.
They bore a banner that read ‘Blade, why do you ignore corruption at University of Zululand?’.
Earlier in the week, a number of protesting staff members also staged a placard demo outside the centre, hoping to catch the attention of President Jacob Zuma, who they missed by minutes.
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