The Limpopo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is calling for immediate intervention by the Minister of Higher Education and Training to stabilise governance at the University of Venda (UNIVEN).
The call comes amid legal battles between UNIVEN’s Council and the institution’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bernard Nthambeleni, which threaten to further disrupt activities at the university.
In early May, student protests disrupted activities at the university. The demonstrations escalated and, by 8 May, police had arrested three students on charges linked to public violence and traffic-related offences. One of the reasons cited for the protests was alleged mismanagement and a lack of transparency by the university’s leadership.
It has since emerged that significant developments were unfolding within the university’s top management structures at the time. None of these developments were made public by the university.
Towards the end of April, several anonymous letters began circulating, containing detailed allegations of corruption within the university’s senior management. The letters contained extensive and serious allegations of systemic governance failures, corruption and nepotism, primarily directed at the Vice-Chancellor (VC) and the Chief Operating Officer (COO).
On 4 May, the chairperson of UNIVEN’s Council, Mr Rudzani Mushweu, convened a special Council meeting to discuss, among other matters, the allegations. Resolutions were reportedly adopted to institute a forensic investigation and serve the Vice-Chancellor with a notice of intention to suspend him.
Prof Nthambeleni fought back and, on 10 May, filed an urgent application in the High Court to have the 4 May meeting and its resolutions declared invalid. The matter was heard the following day by Judge Thogomelani Tshidada.
On 13 May, Judge Tshidada declared the special Council meeting of 4 May and all resulting resolutions “unlawful and invalid” because they failed to meet the procedural requirements set out in Section 23 of the Amended Statute of the University of Venda. The appointment of Mvundlela and Associates Attorneys Inc as attorneys for the university was also declared unlawful.
Anonymous allegations
In court documents, Prof Nthambeleni described the allegations contained in the anonymous letters as unsubstantiated and designed to damage his reputation.
The letters were also filed as part of his affidavit. Among other allegations, it was claimed that he appointed a law firm owned by a family member. It was further alleged that he misled the Council into appointing the COO to a position that reportedly did not exist in the university statute at the time and for which the successful candidate allegedly lacked the required master’s degree.
Many of the allegations focused on procurement processes and the appointment of consultants responsible for overseeing the selection of service providers. The letters alleged that several major projects were used to “loot” university funds.
The university leadership was also accused of fostering a culture of suppression and fear, including the dismissal of a NEHAWU representative and the removal of SRC presidents for advocating for workers’ or students’ rights.
The earlier anonymous letters contained racially biased undertones, particularly against members of the Indian community. “The VC has sold our university to the Guptas,” the writer stated in a letter sent under the name “John John” on 17 March.
An “inside job” to derail anti-corruption efforts
In his founding affidavit, Prof Nthambeleni argued that the Council’s attempts to suspend him were not only procedurally flawed but formed part of a coordinated “inside job” intended to derail his anti-corruption efforts.
He pointed out that the special meeting on 4 May 2026 was not legally constituted because it violated Section 23 of the Amended Statute. Specifically, the Council failed to provide the required three working days’ notice and dealt with business — namely his potential suspension — that was not listed on the meeting’s official agenda.
He characterised the anonymous whistleblower letters as a smear campaign. He argued that the letters selectively presented internal documents to create a false impression of corruption and asserted that they had been authored by someone within the university seeking to undermine his efforts to “clean up” institutional graft.
Nthambeleni further pointed out that the Council had previously resolved to establish a task team to investigate the Hawks’ inquiries and the anonymous allegations. He argued that moving towards a precautionary suspension before the task team had even adopted its terms of reference was premature and irrational.
It was necessary to investigate
In his answering affidavit, UNIVEN Council chairperson Mr Mushweu contended that the Council was legally and fiduciarily obliged to act. He referred to an investigation by the Hawks, which reportedly began around November last year.
Despite several concerns being raised, university management had provided “incomplete disclosures” and failed to place the Council in possession of all relevant information required for fiduciary oversight, he argued.
Mushweu said a second whistleblower submission provided a multitude of objective documents that established a prima facie basis for a forensic investigation. The circulation of the allegations on social media also sparked student protests, which Mushweu claimed rendered the situation an emergency. This, he argued, necessitated an immediate meeting to expedite investigative steps the Council had already been considering.
Mushweu further argued that discussing and initiating a precautionary suspension was necessary to safeguard institutional records and ensure an independent investigative process free from potential interference by individuals occupying senior positions.
Minister must sort out the mess
The Limpopo Chamber of Commerce and Industry released a statement on Saturday, 30 May, urging the Minister of Higher Education and Training to intervene. The LCCI said it had become involved in the crisis because it viewed the university as a critical regional economic driver and strategic public asset whose stability is vital to the Vhembe District and Limpopo Province.
The organisation cited a “breakdown of trust and governance coherence at Council level”, noting that the environment had become “unstable, contested and incapable of restoring public confidence on its own”.
The LCCI is calling for the appointment of an independent assessor to determine whether the current Council remains capable of discharging its fiduciary and legal responsibilities. It has also called for Council members whose conduct has been questioned by the court or who are directly implicated in the crisis to step aside from Council activities pending the assessment.
The LCCI has received support from Limpopo Legal Solutions (LLS), a non-profit organisation representing several advocates and attorneys in the region. In a letter addressed to the university’s Council, LLS demanded an immediate investigation into the conduct of the chairperson and executive committee members of the Council.
Pending the outcome of the investigation, the organisation wants an undertaking that the four individuals concerned will immediately cease presiding over or participating in Council and Convocation affairs.
LLS gave the university until 14:00 on Monday, 1 June, to act, failing which it intends approaching the Thohoyandou High Court on an urgent basis for appropriate relief.