Durban — Top politicians and business people are expected to converge at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) in commemoration of the institution’s founder, the late Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
The honour which will be in the form of a memorial lecturer is scheduled to take place in the first week of next month at the institution's main campus in uMlazi south of Durban.
Angered by the apartheid government’s exclusion of black students in the then whites-only University of Natal, Buthelezi went around soliciting funds to build an all-inclusive university that was not going to discriminate against any race.
With the Oppenheimer family’s help, Buthelezi founded the university in 1979. He had founded his political vehicle, Inkatha Freedom Party in 1975 and was already a chief minister of the now-defunct KwaZulu Government. Inkosi Buthelezi died in September last year and was honoured with a state funeral where the eulogy was delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In a statement issued by the university’s management on Wednesday, it said, “In honour of its esteemed founder Inkosi Buthelezi, the institution will hold a public lecture to commemorate a significant milestone in the history of the university”.
The management said it would also celebrate the “remarkable” achievement of Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, the first-ever woman Vice-Chancellor in the institution’s 45-year history.
The event will be preceded by the formal installation ceremony of Vice Chancellor Sibiya. The uMlazi-born n academic was appointed at the end of July but officially resumed her duties on August 1, thereby, making history by becoming the first woman to lead the institution since 1979. She is expected to bring administrative stability to the university with a history of corruption and mismanagement, which led to the dismissals of several vice chancellors one after another.
Problems started under the late former Vice-Chancellor Aaron Mseshi Ndlovu around 2006. He was accused of ruling with an iron fist and was later suspended. He was charged and taken to a disciplinary hearing after it was discovered that he had irregularly increased his salary to the level of the country’s president, which made him the highest-paid university head in the country.
He subsequently left the institution. The university appointed the renowned Professor Jonathan Jansen as administrator who was subsequently replaced by Professor Mashupye Kgapola who was also suspended together with five senior officials in 2016. The forensic report found that Kgapola had abused the institution’s funds by buying luxury vehicles, refurbishing his home and paying his bodyguards. He subsequently left the university in the same year.
He was succeeded by Professor Enoch Duma Malaza in 2018 who also did not last long. He was also placed on suspension in 2021 following allegations of misconduct and mismanagement.
He subsequently left in 2022. He was replaced by Professor Marcus Ramokgale on an acting basis but was also suspended in May this year.
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Daily News