The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training has taken the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) to task over its handling of the appointment process for the Director of Risk Management Services (RMS) and endangering student safety in its residences.
During the engagement, the committee raised several concerns about governance and adherence to institutional procedures. Committee members questioned the university about a former employee who, after leaving the institution, was later brought back by UKZN as a consultant to perform accreditation of residences.
Members of the committee expressed concern about the university’s decision-making process, questioning whether due process had been followed in appointing the Director for Risk Management Services and whether the university was empowered to deviate from standard recruitment procedures to pursue head-hunting.
Committee member Mr Sihle Lonzi remarked that it was unusual for an institution of UKZN’s stature to be unable to find a qualified candidate for the post of risk management director. Another committee member, Ms Karabo Khakhau, criticised the university for poor maintenance and the substandard work delivered by contractors, which has left residences in poor condition.
Committee Chairperson Mr Tebogo Letsie urged the Vice-Chancellor to listen to organised labour within the institution, noting that staff are not acting in opposition to management but are instead demonstrating a willingness to help by identifying weaknesses and proposing solutions to strengthen systems and accountability.
The committee noted its concern that the university has put students into a building that does not have a valid occupation certificate. This is required by national building regulations and the Building Standards Act before a building can be lawfully occupied. The committees said this practice was dangerous and endangered the lives of students, particularly as some student residences are old. The committee further noted that the university has unoccupied residences, which have cost money to build, including the abandoned 100-bed residence.
The committee is one of the parliamentary committees currently conducting oversight over government-funded infrastructure due to wasteful expenditure on many projects, in this case in the post-school education sector.
The committee urged the university to report contractors who abandon projects halfway to the Department of Higher Education and Training, as this practice forces the university to find more money to finish projects that are sometimes poorly built.
Jabulani Majozi
10 October 2025
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