WSU wage stalemate delays midyear exams
MINISTER of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Zweli Mkhize says he is seeking legal advice on a report about a R4.5-million kickback or facilitation fee that he is supposed to be seeking‚ which he described as a ridiculous and malicious fabrication.
The Sunday Times reported that a letter of demand from a Johannesburg law firm had exposed an alleged R4.5-million kickback for Mkhize‚ a former ANC treasurergeneral‚ and other ANC supporters for helping an oil company get a huge loan from the Public Investment Corporation.
The letter names Mkhize in a legal claim against Afric Oil‚ which describes itself as South Africa’s first BEE fuel distribution company‚ the report stated.
It claims that at a meeting at Luthuli House in early June 2016 a loan application to the PIC was extensively discussed and the TG agreed to promote Afric Oil’s projects‚ including providing support for the facilitation of the PIC loan.
It says a “fund-raising fee shall be shared amongst them”‚ with R4.5million going to Mkhize. The loan was for R210-million.
The law firm claims to be acting for Zonkizizwe Investments‚ which is wholly owned by the ANC.
In a statement yesterday‚ Mkhize said: “I have never facilitated the said loan negotiations nor have I sought any facilitation fee. It is unacceptable to be dragged into a matter that I have nothing to do with in this manner.
I am seeking legal advice.” — THE Walter Sisulu University strike by lecturers and workers enters its third week with no end in sight as negotiations have deadlocked.
The workers demand an 8% salary hike while the university is offering 6.3%.
The strike, which at one stage was joined by students in solidarity with the staff, has resulted in a delay to examinations.
Mid-year exams were supposed to start last week but could not because of the strike. No new exam date has been set.
The university went on a total shutdown on May 28 when the workers affiliated to the two labour unions at WSU, the National Tertiary Education Union (Nteu) and the Nehawu National Health Education and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), downed tools.
Yesterday WSU spokeswoman Yonela Tukwayo told the Dispatch that negotiations had deadlocked and management was unable to exceed the 6.3% offer, as anything above the offer would create financial problems for the university.
“The finance committee and executive committee of council truly applied their minds and they know that beyond this [6.3%] offer, we will run into financial problems,” said Tukwayo.
The university – which already spends 64% of its budget on wages, while the national benchmark sits at 62% – has not had a strike in three years.
On Thursday, at a press briefing held by the student representative council where each of the four campuses was represented, students voiced concerns over the delayed exams and loss of academic time.
The students are worried as libraries are closed and they cannot study.
They want intervention from the Department of Higher Education to find an amicable solution to the impasse.
Tukwayo said a meeting between management and union leaders was scheduled for yesterday afternoon in an effort to break the deadlock.
The meeting was still in progress by deadline late yesterday. —