Parliament, Tuesday, 19 November 2019 – The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology has resolved to, in consultation with the Office of the Speaker, summon the council and management of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) to Parliament on Wednesday.
The committee received several complaints from various stakeholders from TUT making serious allegations of corruption, maladministration, nepotism and abuse of power against the TUT council and management. The committee has resolved to conduct a preliminary inquiry into these allegations by engaging the university and the stakeholders.
Committee Chairperson, Mr Philly Mapulane, said the committee will not allow the TUT council and management to behave as if they are beyond scrutiny. The reasons advanced for their non-attendance before the committee are so lousy that they are not worthy of being considered by a committee of Parliament.
“What the university has done today essentially amounts to giving Parliament the middle finger. They were notified well in advance and they elected to come with lousy excuses not to appear before the committee in order to avoid accountability. Universities are public institutions and should account to the people of this country through their elected representatives.” Mr Mapulane said.
The TUT’s Council Chair, Dr Bandile Masuku, sent in a letter of apology late yesterday for a meeting that had been scheduled four weeks ago.
Mr Mapulane said this behaviour was unacceptable and that the committee will invoke mechanisms available to it in order to bring the TUT council to Parliament.
“It seems there is a seriously embedded culture of impunity at TUT and the refusal by the council to come and account is indicative of that. If disregard for accountability is shown to Parliament, it surely is worse to ordinary stakeholders at the university.”
The preliminary inquiry will happen next Wednesday on 27 November 2019.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MR PHILLY MAPULANE.
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