Parliament, Wednesday, 30 October 2024 – The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has welcomed a fruitful engagement with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) on its governance and related administrative matters. The committee me with university management, the Student Representative Council (SRC) and the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) at UJ.
The committee is deeply concerned about allegations of academic fraud involving a former university employee, which was uncovered through a forensic investigation. The former employee claims to have been unfairly targeted before dismissal. Specifically, postgraduate students were awarded marks for uncompleted subjects and granted postgraduate diplomas without merit.
The committee questioned why only the administrator, who resigned without formal charges being laid against him, has faced consequences and why no charges have been brought against other implicated persons or the benefiting students.
The committee was unsatisfied with the university’s response to a potential reputational crisis. The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Tebogo Letsie, said: “The full extent of this issue remains unknown, raising concerns about potential fraud in undergraduate and other postgraduate programmes. Ignoring this serious matter is unacceptable,” he said.
The committee commended UJ for being ranked sixth in South Africa in terms of research outputs, while ranking number one in the country in terms of publications issued. The committee further applauded the university for upgrading its residences, operating a free intercampus bus service, and transitioning from diesel to electric buses.
The committee was also briefed by the UJ SRC, which had concerns about safety outside campus gates, particularly at its Doornfontein Campus. The SRC said affordable student housing is scarce, leading to overcrowding and long waiting lists for university residences. Mental health issues are on the rise, exacerbated by academic pressure and limited counselling resources. However, the committee was not satisfied with the SRC’s presentation and recommended that it should have addressed issues of students who were facing funding challenges with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
Meanwhile, NEHAWU said a Council on Higher Education report revealed that UJ has the highest-paid Vice-Chancellor and several other top officials, making it the most unequally remunerated institution in the country.
The committee requested UJ to furnish it with written explanations on the issue of academic fraud and other related matters within two weeks.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION, MR TEBOGO LETSIE.
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