UNISA faces scrutiny after finance official's whistle-blowing on ANC-linked spending
Image: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers
Minister of Higher Education Nobuhle Nkabane has revealed that her department is keeping a close eye on the situation at the University of South Africa (UNISA).
This comes amid reports that the institution has been engaged in a series of suspensions involving some of its senior officials who are being sidelined for allegedly sounding the alarm on irregular financial transactions at the institution.
In the latest wave of suspensions, it is reported that the university has suspended another senior official in its finance department for blowing the whistle on R500,000 that was allegedly spent on an ANC-aligned event.
It is reported that this official is suspected of having allegedly downloaded the R500,000 proof of payment for the event.
In a statement on Monday, the minister indicated that she was looking into the issues affecting the integrity of the institution, which has in the past been dogged by controversy following previous allegations of poor governance and financial mismanagement.
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Minister of Higher Education Dr Nobuhle Nkabane.
Image: Twitter
"The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, has taken note of recent developments at the University of South Africa, including the alleged suspension of senior officials and ongoing concerns about governance and financial management.
"The minister wishes to assure all stakeholders that the department is closely monitoring the situation and will be engaging with the university and supporting it in addressing any governance and operational shortcomings," she said.
Nkabane's remarks come just over a week after AfriForum's private prosecution unit indicated that it has noticed a pattern in how the institution deals with some of its officials who have turned into whistle-blowers due to the prevailing atmosphere of concealing criminality within the higher echelons of the institution.
As a result, the unit has confirmed that it now represents Donald Ndlovu, who was suspended as a senior manager within the institution's finance department and placed under cautionary suspension at the end of April.
In a statement, spokesperson for the unit, Barry Bateman, revealed that since April last year, the unit has represented Dr Reshma Mathura, Unisa's acting vice principal finance and chief financial officer.
"Despite being on suspension for more than a year, the disciplinary process is still ongoing. The unit understands that several investigations of Mathura's conduct have cleared her of corruption allegations that she received illicit payments from students. The unit suspects she was suspended for her role in exposing corruption and cooperating in a Hawks investigation of financial malfeasance at the institution," stated Bateman.
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