Johannesburg - Unisa has denied any knowledge of an alleged meeting between Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Dr Blade Nzimande, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula where it was allegedly resolved that the ailing university not be placed under administration.
“We are not aware of such a meeting, and we don’t know if it took place,” Unisa spokesperson told The Star.
Last month, Nzimande rejected a request by Unisa’s council to wait for the court to rule on the independent assessor’s report before he makes a final decision on appointing an administrator for the institution.
This rejection was met with a series of separate legal challenges against Nzimande, seeking to stop him from placing the institution under administration.
Nzimande, however, agreed to extend the period for making representations to him to 30 days from the date of his notice to the council on August 4.
At the moment, it is not clear if the minister will finalise the matter.
A source close to the situation, however, insists such a meeting took place at ANC headquarter Luthuli House with the intention of persuading the minister to hold off on appointing an administrator to disband the Unisa council after the report by the independent assessor was released early this year.
“The meeting held at ANC headquarters in Luthuli House resolved that Unisa must not be placed under administration. The Minister of Higher Education, Dr Nzimande, was given marching orders by secretary-general of (the) ANC, Fikile Mbalula, and Deputy President Paul Mashatile to disregard the independent assessor report and its recommendations,” said the source, acting on condition of anonymity.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri has poured cold water on reports of the alleged meeting.
“There has never been such an agenda item in the meeting that the ANC national officials hold with our public representatives. This includes Dr Nzimande. We have no knowledge of this purported meeting. Decisions regarding the implementation of the independent panel recommendations are duly delegated to the minister in terms of the power accorded to him by the president,” she said.
According to media reports, the chairperson of Unisa’s council, James Maboa, brought an urgent application earlier this month seeking an order to interdict Nzimande from appointing an administrator.
In a separate application, Unisa vice-chancellor and principal Puleng LenkaBula tried to get Mosia’s report reviewed and set aside.
In a third application, brought on June 20, former Unisa registrar Professor Steward Mothata asked the court to declare that the university’s council was no longer “properly constituted’’ and sought an order directing Nzimande to appoint an administrator for Unisa.
Spokesperson for Nzimande, Ishmael Mnisi, dismissed reports of the meeting between the minister and ANC leaders.
“There has never been such a meeting between the minister and ANC national officials. I dismiss these allegations with the contempt they deserve. They are untrue and peddled by rumour mongers,” Mnisi told The Star.
The Star