By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The University of Fort Hare convocation has written to Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, calling for an independent investigation into fraud allegations at the university.
The convocation briefed the media in East London on Friday on the issues affecting students at the institution.
The university is being investigated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for academic fraud, with high-profile individuals accused of cheating to get their qualifications.
These include Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, Public Service and Administration Minister Noxolo Kiviet, and several members of the executive council (MECs).
Last year, the university laid criminal charges against Professor Edwin Ijeoma – whom it has since parted ways with – for allegedly admitting and registering two students, including the premier. Mabuyane, who was supervised by Ijeoma, was excluded and deregistered by the university from its master’s programme. The premier had threatened to appeal the decision but never did.
The university also placed Ijeoma on suspension last year after allegations that he had irregularly registered former Eastern Cape health MEC Sindiswa Gomba for an honours degree in public administration, even though she did not have an undergraduate degree.
In April last year that the Hawks had raided several campuses of the institutions into student admission fraud, corruption and money laundering activities by Ijeoma.
The university has also laid criminal charges against Ijeoma for unauthorised academic work and programmes for the Eastern Cape legislature.
In its statement, the SIU said the investigation will cover the allegations between November 2012 and August 5 this year.
Despite this, the convocation said this investigation should be conducted by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), not the SIU.
“The investigation that relates to academic fraud is a specialised investigation, therefore, it needs specialised knowledge which in our view may not be in the purview of the SIU. Hence we say the department that has the necessary skills, expertise and knowledge is DHET,” said UFH convocation president Andile Mini.
“The SIU will investigate any unlawful or improper conduct by the officials, employees, service providers or suppliers to the university or any entity.”
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Video Courtesy of Fort Hare.