Unizulu refutes allegations

THE University of Zululand has refuted allegations by protesting Housing and Protective Services department staff of fraud and impending staff dismissals at the institution.

The protest was sparked off after some staff believed Vice Chancellor Fikile Mazibuko intended to, without consultation, dismiss employees and replace them with workers from a different company.

In a media release the University sais it deemed the allegations false and defamatory.

‘The issue here is about contract workers who entered into an agreement with the university on terms and conditions of their employment. The contract has a commencement date and an end date. It is unfair to attribute terms to a contract which does not exist. The matter is being addressed by the university with the employees concerned and recognised structures representing the employees,’ read the statement.

Protesters also claimed that the Vice Chancellor treated the university as a ‘spaza shop’, alleging that she had been involved with fraudulent activities totalling R11-million and had fired capable staff to hire family members.

‘The university views seriously the allegations made by Nehawu about the Vice- Chancellor’s involvement in fraudulent activities totalling R11-million. This is a scurrilous and unfounded allegation intended to destroy the character of the Vice- Chancellor and bring the university into disrepute,’ said the statement.

‘Running the university as a ‘spaza shop’ is baseless and ridiculous (accusation). It is also a direct attack of the integrity of structures of the university such as Council, executive, finance, audit and risk committees and internal financial management processes,’ the university said.

‘The allegation that there is no adequate management communication with staff is untrue. The university has regular meetings with all stakeholders representing different sectors of the university to discuss various issues affecting staff and students,’ the statement concluded.