My overseas travel costs at UCT fully accounted for
The news report about my deanship at the University of Cape Town (UCT) contains several inaccuracies, “UCT law staff want truth to be told” (September 16).
UCT has a robust financial management system requiring quarterly reports by faculties to the central finance office. All expenditure must be properly authorised and accounted for through multiple signatories. All funds during my tenure at UCT were fully accounted for following this process.
Internationalisation is a key strategic imperative of UCT: spending authorised under this budget item brought outstanding international scholars and legal figures to UCT, including US Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor, and decolonisation and critical race theorists Makau Mutua and Anthony Anghie. It promoted partnerships and research collaborations. It also paid for a number of UCT scholars to gain international academic exposure. I take the view that this kind of exposure makes for better global scholars — to describe spending on internationalisation as mismanagement is misguided.
Regarding my personal travel, as an active researcher and scholar, my travel is mostly paid by my hosts. For example, in 2017 I took five international trips and only two were paid for by UCT.
The accreditation process got under way in 2013, preceding my tenure as dean, which began in 2016. I sought the assistance and input of lecturers as well as heads of department on a number of occasions — with no success. To lay the blame on me is disingenuous.
I am puzzled and saddened that these complaints surfaced after my decision to resign. During my tenure there was not a single formal complaint against me, nor any grievance filed. One can only speculate about the motives for surfacing these allegations so publicly.
Penelope Andrews, Visiting Scholar, Columbia Law School
Propping up a false narrative
In “Private eyes ‘spied for’ McBride’s unit” (September 16), a Sunday Times journalist tries to prop up former acting police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane’s false narrative that Paul O’Sullivan is “the driving force” behind the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigation into allegations of corruption against Phahlane.
It is quite telling that there isn’t a single message attributed to O’Sullivan in the WhatsApp messages, whose authenticity has not been established. What the Sunday Times omitted to tell its readers is that the suspect and accused in various corruption cases that are being investigated by Ipid is Phahlane, not O’Sullivan.
The readers were not told that SarahJane Trent’s phone was stolen by Maj-Gen Jan Mabula’s team and sent to Israel to be downloaded. If one looks at the track record of the people involved, one would have exercised caution as Mabula and his team have fabricated evidence before.
The journalist was given evidence and transcripts showing that Ipid investigators were offered brigadier positions in order for them to falsely implicate Ipid management in wrongdoing to torpedo the case against Phahlane and others.
Moses Dlamini, national spokesperson, Ipid
Shame China for harassing Muslims
China’s oppression of Muslim citizens has entered a new phase, with news emerging about a system of re-education and detention camps aimed at isolating people the state identifies as Muslims to “cure” them of religion.
The Uighurs, an ethnic minority in the mineral-rich autonomous Xinjiang region, face systematic persecution. Security forces harass the largely Muslim group and detain individuals and whole families.
Xinjiang’s Uighurs have long been used to heavy-handed curbs.
China has banned religious education for young people in mosques, silenced the call to prayer and ordered the cancellation of public Arabic classes.
China’s communist government has redefined extremism: it now targets anyone who doesn’t eat pork, fasts during Ramadan, wears an “abnormal” beard or a veil, refuses to watch state TV, or abstains from alcohol and tobacco. Many mosques are taboo for people under 18, and so on.
It is time journalists and governments shamed China over its outrageous treatment of the Uighurs. This is political re-education that is seeking to change the belief system of an entire people.
Riyaad Dhai, Westville
Supporting a free media
Thank you for your lovely letter, “You had your chance, Mr Zuma ...” (September 16).
I still buy the papers, I love them. I believe in a free media and do my bit to support it.
We respect, support and pray for President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Annette Viljoen, Vaal Triangle
Boks peaking at right time
I want to congratulate the Springboks for their triumph against the All Blacks.
I was really watching a very different Boks team and was impressed by their desire to win and their never-say-die attitude.
I think the Boks are peaking at the right time as the World Cup is just around the corner. We are going to write positive things about them as long as they keep us happy.
I’m sure this game will go down in history as one of the memorable victories against the All Blacks, and the Boks should refer to it as a morale booster when their morale is low.
Keep it up, boys.
Mzwandile, aka Pepe Nkomombini, Port Elizabeth
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