By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The University of South Africa (Unisa) launched an urgent court application to challenge Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande’s decision to place the institution under administration.
Nzimande appointed Professor Ihron Rensburg as the university’s administrator for the next two years.
Unisa says the Minister’s announcement is in contempt of the court order handed down by Judge Harshila Kooverjie that interdicted him from placing the university under administration earlier this month.
An entry in the Government Gazette, dated 27 October, reads: “I, Dr BE Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, in accordance with Section 49B of the Higher Education Act (Act 101 of 1997, as amended) hereby appoint an administrator for the University of South Africa.”
“The same order reaffirms the earlier order of [Judge Leicester] Adams of 24 August 2023, which ordered the minister not to take any decision pending the finalisation of the interdict application by Unisa, and the minister’s undertaking not to take any decision until the application to review and set aside the independent assessor’s report would have been heard.”
Unisa said the matter had not been finalised and was still before the court.
“The university is also of the strong view that the announcement of the minister’s decision at the time when our students are in the middle of examinations is ill-timed and insensitive.
Rensburg will report to the minister or any delegated officials in the Department of Higher Education and Training on a biannual basis and must, at the end of his term, submit a written report to the minister within 30 days.
Nzimande’s decision to place the university under administration was informed by the report of an Independent Assessor released in March and the 2021 report by the ministerial task team which found corruption and maladministration at the institution.