Africa-Press – South-Africa. Parliament says management at Unisa needs to clean up its image amid qualifications woes.
The chairperson of the select committee on education and technology, sports, arts and culture, Elleck Nchabeleng, said there was no reason the institution could not continue its past legacy of excellence to empower intellectuals with education.
Nchabeleng made the remarks amid the celebration of the university’s 150th anniversary on Monday.
Nchabeleng said the distance learning institution allowed imprisoned leaders to access quality education, making them distinguished leaders.
“The university management needs to work hard and change the negativity around the image of the institution and its qualifications. Unisa has produced leaders who went on and distinguished themselves in [the] industry,” Nchabeleng added.
Unisa’s registrar, Professor Steward Mothata, was suspended earlier this month for misconduct and policy breaches.
Although the university did not detail the reasons for Mothata’s suspension due to confidentiality issues, News24 reported it came amid a scathing report by independent assessor Professor Themba Mosia into its operations.
Mosia recommended the institution be placed under administration and the council and management be relieved of their duties.
He found the registrar’s portfolio had been dysfunctional due to poor consequence management, outdated policies and failure to protect student data, among other concerns.
Unisa said it used the celebration to “reflect and marvel” at its past milestones, which included giving birth to some of the best universities in the country.
The institution added it prided itself in producing “quality graduates”, including prominent political leaders, who became leaders in politics, academia and commerce, among other fields.
“It is the alma mater of many great leaders, amongst whom it proudly lists the founding father of our nation and our first democratic president, Isithwalandwe Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, retired Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke as well as the current President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, to name but a few,” it added.
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