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Reappointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Africa, Professor Puleng LenkaBula
A forum calling itself SaveUnisa is questioning the reappointment of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Africa (UNISA), Professor Puleng LenkaBula.
She was reappointed for a second term late last year, a year before her first term ended.
LenkaBula took the highest office at UNISA in late 2020, becoming the first woman to occupy the seat.
SaveUnisa’s Simamkele Xani says, “I want to believe that there’s been a capture of the university council to a point where the VC has more power than she should. You write to the secretary of the council, which is the registrar. If your letters are not reaching council, it means that between the secretary and whoever that the secretary works with, which is obviously in this case the vice chancellor, there’s a collusion that letters must never reach council.”
She says they considered, at some point in time, taking the council members to court, individually, to say that they have a responsibility to hold this person accountable and have failed in their role as council members.
In recent years, controversy has plagued the university, including allegations of purging senior staff members and financial maladministration with close to R200 million in legal fees alone.
Two years ago, then Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande sought to place UNISA under administration. This followed an independent report, which revealed serious maladministration but faced legal challenges.
LenkaBula is now due to start her second term in January next year.
