By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Higher education minister Blade Nzimande has dissolved the council of Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT).
Nzimande has appointed Professor Lourens van Staden as an administrator.
He said the appointment was in line with Section 49B (1) of the Higher Education Act, which empowers him to appoint a new administrator on the grounds of maladministration and mismanagement, among other offences.
Van Staden would occupy the position for a perion of 24 months.
His responsibilities include taking over the duties of the dissolved council; overseeing the filling of senior-level posts, including that of the vice-chancellor and principal, within 12 to 18 months; and developing a five-year plan to address the challenges identified by assessors in all previous reports.
The institution has been in the spotlight for a while, with allegations that council was meddling with administrative matters.
This prompted Nzimande to launch a probe which was led by Professor Anthony Staak last year.
It is believed that the investigation report made damning findings against the council.
The uMlazi-based institution was also in the news after a stand-off between the former vice-chancellor Dr Enoch Malaza and the council. The conflict between Malaza and the council ended when the two decided to settle the matter, with the former vice-chancellor opting to leave the institution early this year.
In recent times the institution has also experienced student unrest which resulted in the torching of one of its properties.