Suspended Unisa legal exec hauls VC to court
Mannya claims university is out to tarnish his image
Unisa’s executive director of legal services, Adv Modidima Mannya, has hauled vicechancellor Prof Puleng LenkaBula to court after she suspended him for, among other things, allegedly abusing his position.
Mannya was placed on suspension on April 8 for three months after he rejected a proposal for “a mediation”.
In court papers filed at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday he stated his notice of suspension indicated the action was taken on the recommendation of the directorate of labour law for the immediate suspension of an employee on full pay pending a hearing.
“It was impossible for [LenkaBula] to obtain a recommendation from the directorate since I am the only official in that department and I have not recommended my own suspension,” he said.
He said there was no investigation into any allegation of misconduct against him.
He said as far as he could tell, the suspension concerns allegations made against him a year ago and the three officials who made the allegations have since left the university.
“I will suffer irreparable harm if my suspension is not suspended. Unisa is hell-bent on tarnishing my name and, in the process, my dignity.”
Mannya also indicated in the court papers that LenkaBula attributed “a toxic environment” at the university to him.
“Firstly, it is impossible that I can single handedly cause toxicity throughout the university. This is simply illogical. The university has had major problems long before I joined.”
He stated the vice-chancellor only assumed her position in January and “was therefore not at the university when the alleged incidents occurred”.
Mannya said LenkaBula also based her decision “on what she claims is my decision not to work with women”. “I reject the allegations … of misogyny against me, which are now part of my referral of an unfair discrimination dispute.”
In the notice of suspension, LenkaBula said: “The complaints relate to allegations that you abuse your position to intimidate members of staff, act against the best interests of the university and generally contravene the university’s code of ethics.”
Both the university and LenkaBula have until April 19 to file a notice of opposition.