- Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has dissolved the council of the Mangosuthu University of Technology.
- He appointed Lourens van Staden as the institution's administrator.
- Van Staden will occupy the position for 24 months, a period in which he will take over the duties of council.
Higher education minister Blade Nzimande has dissolved the council of Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) and appointed professor Lourens Van Staden as its new administrator.
The move follows the conclusion of an investigation by independent assessor professor Anthony Staak.
Staak was appointed in August last year to probe several allegations, including the efficacy and relationships between the institution's governance and senior management structures.
He also investigated allegations of misconduct and mismanagement against the institution's former vice-chancellor Dr Duma Malaza.
Staak launched the investigation in October last year and concluded it within 45 days in December.
On Monday, Nzimande said the appointment was in line with Section 49B (1) of the Higher Education Act, which empowers him to appoint a new administrator on the grounds of maladministration and mismanagement, among other offences.
He said he dissolved the institution's council despite this not being a recommendation by Staak. He said the institution had previously failed to address its challenges.
The minister said:
Nzimande also cited similarities in Staak's report and previous ones from other assessors, saying challenges at MUT persisted despite the recommendations from earlier reports.
He said the university suffered reputational damage because of the negligence in addressing these issues.
Role of the new administrator
Van Staden would occupy the position for 24 months.
His responsibilities include taking over the duties of the dissolved council; overseeing the filling of senior-level posts, including that of the vice-chancellor and principal, within 12 to 18 months; and developing a five-year plan to address the challenges identified by assessors in all previous reports.
On 1 October, Dr Phumzile Masala, the registrar at MUT, informed students and staff that the minister had announced the institution of Van Staden's appointment.