State launches yet another probe into graft at Fort Hare University
SIU to investigate financial affairs and the awarding of degrees at institution
The University of Fort Hare is under yet another investigation, this time by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the SIU to launch a probe into the affairs of the institution, including corruption relating to the management of its funds and how it awards degrees.
Fort Hare vice-chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu, in a letter to staff and students, said the SIU probe is not an indictment of the university’s academic project, accreditation or quality.
“The difficult work of cleaning up and holding to account persons and entities responsible for damaging the university’s reputation and financial standing is hard but necessary as part of the broader project to claim a leading position for the university nationally and globally,” he said.
Fort Hare last year laid criminal charges against fugitive professor Edwin Ijeoma for the alleged irregular registration of two students, including Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane.
Mabuyane was excluded from Fort Hare’s master’s programme and deregistered as a student for not meeting the basic requirements. He was supervised by Ijeoma, who resigned after he was suspended for allegedly defrauding the university. The allegations against Ijeoma include that he irregularly registered axed Eastern Cape health MEC Sindiswa Gomba for an honours degree in public administration.
In 2019, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Blade Nzimande appointed an independent assessor to investigate a range of matters relating to the university’s governance and management.