R157 million UKZN probe going nowhere

Med school sleuths ‘looking for an imaginary black cat in the dark’

THE University of Kwazulu-natal would have spent R157 million from January last year to the end of this year to investigate allegations that places at its medical school were being sold.

Dubbed Operation Clever by the university, it saw 24 staff members suspended on full pay in August last year.

At that time, 260 computers were also taken. In September 16 more staff members were suspended.

However, the university is yet to begin internal disciplinary processes.

The Hawks are investigating and have arrested three people: Hiteshkumar Bhatt, his wife Varsha and Preshni Hiraman. However, a few weeks ago, charges were provisionally withdrawn because the State was not ready to prosecute, 18 months after the arrests. No one else was charged.

According to a report tabled by the university’s financial committee, the university is paying millions to safeguard two staff members leading the internal investigation.

Last year, about R10m was spent on security and the protection of those involved in the investigation, including their accommodation. This year it will increase to almost R30m.

One individual gets 24-hour protection and the other 12 hours.

“It is not clear when the investigation will be concluded and this matter is with exco of council”, said the report.

UKZN spokesperson Normah Zondo, said: “Our purpose for this expenditure remains utterly fundamental: to secure UKZN’S reputation and standing.

“We have set in place programmes to strengthen the university systems that are key to its core business for the purpose of eliminating our vulnerability to fraud and corruption.

“These programmes will run concurrently with the phasing out of the investigative and disciplinary activities under way.”

She said costs were contained and were being closely monitored.

Regarding to the disciplinary cases against staff, Zondo said they would start before the end of the calendar year.

“We trust you will appreciate that the details of the investigations in question, disciplinary actions and costs associated with them are confidential for legal reasons, as well as those concerning institutional integrity,” she said.

Minister of Higher Education and Training Naledi Pandor is aware of the investigation and the “high costs” involved.

Her spokesperson, Lunga Ngqengelele, said matters relating to the integrity of academic qualifications were extremely important and it was critical that the university could effectively address any fraud relating to its academic qualifications.

He said Pandor recently met the university’s chairperson of council and the acting vice-chancellor for a briefing on the university’s plans for concluding the investigations and handing the matters over to the appropriate authorities.

He said the minister and the department supported the university’s plan to conclude these matters urgently.

However, there is growing unhappiness with how the investigation is handled.

A former high-ranking university employee, who asked not to be identified, said the amount spent on the fruitless investigation was ridiculous.

“This is terrible for an institution which, in 2016, had a R1.2 billion deficit. The minister of higher education should place it under administration.

“At this rate the university may have to apply for National Student Financial Aid Scheme funding to pay staff,” said the ex-employee.

“The investigators are looking for an imaginary black cat in the dark. Where are they with this investigation.” An employee who was aware of the millions spent on the investigation felt the money could have been better spent to fund and accommodate poor students.

Another said it made more sense to outsource an investigation rather than pay tens of millions on security.

Central Student Representative Council (SRC) President Sanele Hlongwa defended the university: “A budget of R98m was set aside, so the amount is not alarming.”

However, the EFF’S SRC leader, Admire Zulu said, “corrupted people are being protected at the expense of students whose money is spent on an investigation that has been dragging on”.

DAYANAND was employed at Northdale Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, in January 2016 as a medical intern and earned a salary for 14 months.

After the University of Kwazulu Natal paid for a private investigation, it was alleged that he never completed his studies at the university’s medical school, which meant he should not have practised as an intern.

Dayanand was suspended from the hospital and dismissed.

Ncumisa Mafunda, spokesperson for the KZN Department of Health, said: “Once the department became aware of a fraudulently-acquired qualification by (Dayanand), who was later revealed to be a medical intern, he was suspended from Northdale Hospital and dismissed. A police case was registered with the SAPS.”

Normah Zondo, UKZN spokesperson, said the university also opened a criminal case against Dayanand.

Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo confirmed that they were looking into the cases.

“The Hawks are investigating and are waiting for the finalisation of documents that are being analysed,” he said.

The lawyers working for Dayanand said they had received no formal notification that Dayanand had been dismissed. Attorney Udash Vather said: “Of monumental significance is the fact that the starting point is that neither UKZN nor the department of health nor the HPCSA (Health Professions Council of SA) have finalised their investigation in respect of our client’s medical degree. “In fact, UKZN’S legal representatives and employees have taken a very personal interest in this matter and have been very instrumental in ensuring that the investigation is not finalised. They have been unco-operative with the authorities and have deliberately and maliciously unduly delayed the finalisation of the investigation. “To date no criminal charges have been laid against our client, who is innocent until proven guilty. “Our client is being severely prejudiced by the university’s unco-operativeness in bringing the investigation to finality, thereby resulting in our client being suspended without pay and not being afforded a fair hearing. “UKZN’S failure to finalise this matter at the expense of taxpayers’ money is deplorable. “Our client is unable to study or work. The uncertainty as regards the finalisation of the investigation has had a negative impact on his emotional and psychological well-being. “At this stage our client’s future looks bleak should this untenable situation continue, whereby UKZN refuses to bring to finality their investigation concerning our client,” Vather said.

There is one more leg to this story. In July this year, businessman Visham Panday brought an application in the Pietermaritzburg High Court to stop Reshal Dayanand from “passing himself off as a medical practitioner”.

In court papers he said he did so on behalf of patients who would have been treated by Dayanand or who could be treated by Dayanand in the future.

This week he told the Sunday Tribune: “I brought the application on behalf of the people who can’t go to private hospitals and are dependent on public hospitals for their well-being.

“I was born in a government hospital. My father died in a government hospital. As a result, I wanted to ensure that those who go to government hospitals were not treated by bogus doctors.

“This application cost me money but I was prepared to take up the matter for the sake of ensuring that justice was done.”

Panday said it was important the investigation was expedited because the health of ordinary people was at stake.

Dayanand was cited as the first respondent and opposed the matter on the basis that the allegations were untrue.

Other respondents included; the minister of health nationally and in Kwazulu-natal, the HPCSA, the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kwazulunatal and UKZN.

Dayanand said Panday brought the application to harass and defame his father, a well-known Pietermaritzburg doctor, as well his family.

The matter has not been finalised.