Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela said on Tuesday, 21 July, that he intends to appoint an independent assessor at the University of Venda (Univen), as governance problems at the institution continue to deepen.
The move follows the university’s decision earlier this month to place Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Bernard Nthambeleni and Chief Operating Officer Mr Botwe Kraziya on precautionary suspension, ending months of speculation over the fate of the institution’s embattled leadership.
In a letter to staff and students dated 20 July, Council chairperson Mr Rudzani Mushweu said the decision was taken at a meeting on 16 July “pending finalisation of an independent forensic investigation” into an anonymous letter alleging corruption, maladministration and nepotism. He stressed that the suspension was an administrative measure and “does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing or guilt” against the two men, adding that it was “neither disciplinary nor punitive.”
Mushweu said Council would urgently convene to decide on interim leadership arrangements and appealed to the university community to avoid speculation while the forensic probe ran its course.
According to the Department of Higher Education and Training, the allegations were contained in anonymous letters that triggered internal divisions, threats of suspension and litigation. Manamela met the university’s executive management and Council on 5 June, and the parties agreed to resolve the matter through the university’s own governance structures, with Council expected to report back to the minister. Instead, the situation escalated.
Manamela said the continued instability threatens the university’s ability to provide quality teaching and learning. He has now invoked Section 44(1) of the Higher Education Act, which allows him to begin the process of appointing an independent assessor. If appointed, the assessor will investigate the allegations against Nthambeleni, examine the state of governance at the university, and assess the effectiveness of its governance and executive management structures.
Council has been given 14 days to make representations before the appointment is finalised. Manamela urged the public to allow the statutory process to run its course without interference or speculation, saying the investigation is intended to establish the facts and recommend measures to restore stability and strengthen governance. He assured students and staff that academic and administrative functions would continue throughout the process.
Months of turmoil
The suspension is the latest turn in a governance crisis that has gripped Univen since early May, when a special Council meeting convened by Mushweu on the same day’s notice considered an anonymous letter making similar allegations against Nthambeleni and Kraziya.
The letter alleged the irregular employment of a retired registrar, nepotism involving a law firm owned by Nthambeleni’s brother, credit card abuse by the COO, and multi-million-rand budget overruns on construction projects. Earlier anonymous letters carried racially charged undertones, particularly against members of the Indian community, with one writer claiming under the name “John John” that “The VC has sold our university to the Guptas.”
Nthambeleni successfully challenged the May meeting in court, with Judge Thogomelani Tshidada declaring it “unlawful and invalid” for failing to meet the procedural requirements of Section 23 of the Amended Statute of the University of Venda.
A second special Council meeting, held on 26 May with proper notice, resolved to appoint an independent forensic investigator, with Nthambeleni and Kraziya given 24 hours to explain why they should not be placed on precautionary suspension. Some Council members objected at the time, arguing suspension was premature.
Student protests over governance and academic support disrupted campus activities in early May, leading to the arrest of three students on charges of public violence and traffic offences, before the strike was temporarily suspended.
Nthambeleni rejected Council’s approach and, on 3 June, sought an interdict in the Thohoyandou division of the Limpopo High Court to halt Council’s attempts to suspend him, arguing the process was a “re-styled suspension process” mirroring the one already set aside. Limpopo Legal Solutions (LLS) filed a separate application in the same court.
The Limpopo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which views the university as a critical regional economic driver, called on Manamela to intervene, warning of a “breakdown of trust and governance coherence” at Council level.
Court cases pending
Nthambeleni’s interdict application is scheduled to be heard on 28 July in Thohoyandou. LLS’s application seeking to stop Council from suspending the Vice-Chancellor was set down for hearing on 22 July, but at the time of going to press the outcome was not yet available.
It remains unclear what bearing the earlier court rulings will have on the legality of the latest suspension, or whether Nthambeleni intends to challenge it.