Minister Directed to Cease Involvement with Unisa

The Pretoria High Court has ruled in favour of the University of South Africa (Unisa), ordering Higher Education Minister Dr. Blade Nzimande to halt his intention to place the institution under administration. This decision came after Unisa applied with the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, following the minister’s notice to put the university under administration.

Minister Nzimande’s intention to intervene in Unisa’s affairs stemmed from reports by an independent assessor, Prof Themba Mosia, and the Ministerial Task Team (MTT) on Unisa, chaired by Dr. Vincent Maphai.

Following the concerns highlighted by the Independent Assessor, Professor Themba Mosia, and the findings of the Ministerial Task Team led by Dr Vincent Maphai, I served a notice of my intention to place the University of South Africa (UNISA) under Administration. My final… pic.twitter.com/7YmWyVYgMS

— Minister Blade Nzimande (@DrBladeNzimande) October 5, 2023

Unisa’s management argued that the minister’s actions were premature and sought an interdict to prevent the institution from being placed under administration. In a previous court order dated August 24, Minister Nzimande was prohibited from implementing recommendations of the Mosia report until related matters were resolved.

Also read: Minister Nzimande Leads Delegation to Japan to Strengthen Hydrogen Economy Cooperation

Judge Harshila Kooverjie declared that the minister’s notice of intention, dated October 4, violated the court’s order. He ordered Minister Nzimande to withdraw his intention and cease any steps to publish and implement the notice. The court also instructed the minister to cover the applicant’s legal costs on an attorney and client scale.

Unisa’s management welcomed the high court order, asserting that the report upon which the minister’s actions were based was fundamentally flawed. Unisa had initiated legal proceedings to challenge the report’s recommendations.

Lecturer Mametlwe Sebei from the Department of Jurisprudence supported Unisa’s move to interdict the minister. He pointed out that Prof Themba Mosia’s appointment was riddled with irregularities and conflicts of interest, making his findings questionable.

Sebei suggested that the minister should facilitate a process to engage various stakeholders, including workers, academics, and students, to address the university’s challenges instead of rushing into administration. Unisa believed placing the institution under administration was unnecessary and could potentially harm the university.

Minister Nzimande acknowledged the court’s ruling and pledged to abide by it. However, he raised concerns about the court’s handling of the matter and called for consistency in urgently addressing issues. The minister’s legal team was securing a hearing date for an urgent interim interdict application.

Source: Minister ordered to leave Unisa alone

Also read:

Unisa Council’s Urgent Plea to Halt Nzimande’s Administration Plans

Picture: X / oy_zelda

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