The recent appointment of KwaZulu-Natal Premier Zweli Mkhize — a key supporter of President Jacob Zuma — as chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) will only further damage the institution’s already shattered reputation.
In the space of a little more than five years this university has gone from having a judge respected for his independence (Chief Justice Pius Langa) as its chancellor to ANC provincial chair and sitting premier Mkhize.
In between, former parliamentary speaker Frene Ginwala filled this ceremonial and advisory position. While Ginwala was firmly in the ANC camp, indeed in former president Thabo Mbeki’s coterie, she is at least known for being somewhat independent, a quality that befits both a speaker and a university chancellor.
Would Mkhize really stand up for the university were Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande — the communist leader and another important Zuma supporter — to slash university funding or curb academic freedom?
Recently a UKZN-appointed committee cleared the institution of allegations of suppressing academic freedom. It appears the stifling is more of an internal organisational nature than one of restricting the direction of academic pursuit, though no doubt banning professors from publicly criticising the organisation hardly fosters an environment of academic freedom.
While academic standards may not have slipped as much as some critics allege, the appointment of Mkhize won’t help the university rebuild its reputation. An institution’s reputation isn’t something you can get back overnight — like a struggling football striker might be able to with one big performance — it takes years.
The country’s biggest food producer, Tiger Brands, which was involved in the infamous bread price-fixing scandal, has understood this well. It replaced chief executive Nick Dennis with Peter Matlare. Matlare was not the best person for the job in a technical sense but brought a highly credible public-relations and government-relations approach to the company. After all, he even previously managed to improve the reputation of the SABC when he headed up the public broadcaster.
But back to UKZN. Top academics and suburban middle-class parents have deserted this university in droves. Exactly how much better their sons and daughters’ degrees from Stellenbosch or UCT are may be debatable. But the point is that they are lost to KZN and many will probably never bring their skills back to Durban, further marginalising a city which is struggling to hold its position as a centre of learning and culture.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, managements at an earlier component of the now amalgamated University of KZN, the University of Natal, fought hard to build up the institution’s reputation for academic freedom. This after it had previously been plagued by pro-apartheid vice-chancellors such as one-time National Party finance minister Owen Horwood.
Of late the university has failed to combine the admittedly difficult juggling act of producing competent disadvantaged graduates and retaining middle-class support. Premier Mkhize’s appointment won’t help turn around the ship.
Robbins is a graduate of the former University of Natal
Clutching at straws maybe?
1. Mkhize will damage the university’s reputation.
2. The ‘independent’ respected Pius Langa
3. Another ‘independent’ Frene Ginwala
4. THE COMMUNIST LEADER GEVAAR FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
5. Academic Freedom.
6. Football.
7. Tiger Brands.
8. The Middle Class , Durban , UCT & Stellenbosch
9. Blacks & Middle Class
From paragraphs 2 to 9 no hard core evidence is shown how Mkihize is to further sully the reputation of UKZN. If you were painting a snake it might have come out as a tube.
You are busy addressing useless issues relating to the Chancellor of UKZN. Why don’t you address an article on all the Chancellors in the country an their uselessness eg. Popo Molefe
The first part of your article is balanced but towards the end you kind of loose it. The University hasn’t failed to produce “competent graduates from disadvantaged communities” and, as far as I understand, hasn’t compromised its middle class support. The majority of UKZN academics are white, then there are Indians. Africans (both from within this country and around the continent ) are in the minority. The institution hasn’t been hasty when it comes to transformation. It has thorougly thought-out the process.
Yes, Mkhize’s appointment is ill-advised but your analysis of it is very shallow and presumptuos. UKZN is one of the leading Universities in the developing world and has produced top-academics and graduates since the merger (not only before). Mkhize has not executive authority over academic processes. He is not even an overseer. Only an honorary member-like most (if not all) Vice-Chancellors.
Tom, you are clearly writing a lot of drivel! Explain to us how Mkhize is going to sully the university’s reputation? Currently the academic staff are doing it themselves. Think of something better to write when you try to be controversial!
People will leave Durban for any reason
Are you saying the reputation of UKZN will be damaged by Mkhize merely because he is a friend of Zuma? You must be having a problem in your head seriously. There is not even one short-coming of Mkhize as a person or a professional that you have pointed, get a life. We also went through UKZN, what is that has to do with Mkhize???
This is what I meant: Mkhize has not executive authority over academic processes. He is not even an overseer. Only an honorary member-like most (if not all)Chancellors.
Most blacks who graduated from UKZN are doing exceedingly well in their fields. The Vice-Chancellor, Makgoba, is a highly esteemed scholar, scientist and leader.
You make it seem as though the University started being plagued by scandals just as when blacks got there. The truth is that some of the most embarrasing shenanigans involved white (and in a few cases) Indian academics- fraudulent activities such as faking their academic credentials, expropriating state money, paying for their degrees to be written for them and don;t forget the embarrasing outburst in one Poetry Africa festival when a certain poet said (infront of a big audience) that one (white) professor had been seducing 9and sleeping with his students. That claim was never disputed, as far as I know.
Such things have been so commonplace at priviledged universities since their inception that J.M.Coetzee couldn’t help fictionalising one of those incidents in his overrated novel “Disgrace” and yet when we speak of moral corruption we usually assume that only blacks are culpable-even if we don’t explicitly say so. Hypocrisy? Methinks.
What are you on about Tom? You are not making sense! Can you care to explain to us how exactly the appointment of Dr Mkhize is a blow to UKZN’s reputation?
1) Is it his academic qualification?
2) Is it track record( Please explain)?
3) Is it his age( maybe too young)?
What is it exactly?
An international student friend of mine told me something yesterday, and obviously it was before I read this new development of Mkhize taking the VC job at UKZN. My friend, a French fellow in my class, had this to say, in his French accent, by the way, “If zer is one sing zat mus be independent, it ought to be education,” he said before adding that the politicisation of education will further demean the institution that education is. Look at what is happening at UNISA currently with the YCL threatening to make that institution ungorvenable. Was Pityana deployed by the Mbeki government? Prince Mashele recently said that all the VC’s have political affiliations, and that it was not just Pityana who must be shown the door. A scary revelation indeed. Are we going to see all Zuma’s ‘people’ manning our sacred institutions such as universities now that he’s in power? Should academics be ‘deployed’ to institutions of higher learning? Actually, who employs these dudes to such positions? It is sad realy what is happening in our institutions of higher learning, they are losing credibility as a result of the politicisation of the institutions. What experience does Mkhize have that can justify his deployment? Politics? Sad then. I hope this is not the beginning of Blade’s tenure, to wreck our education system. We need the relevant people, not mere deployments. What then happens when Zuma’s tenure as president comes to an end? More deployments?
@Rudzani, a small correction
Mkhize is a Chancellor and not a Vice Chancellor. There is a difference between the two:
Chancellor (Dr Zweli Mkhize) – This is a honorary/ceremonial post
Vice-Chancellor ( Dr Malegapuru Makgoba )- This is the Chief Executive of the institution
“Of late the university has failed to combine the admittedly difficult juggling act of producing competent disadvantaged graduates and retaining middle-class support”
What proof have you got that the university has started dropping standards in order to accomodate “disadvantaged” students? I graduated from there in 2007, and according to the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), my degree is still worth it’s weight on the paper that it’s been printed on for the past century. Why should my white colleagues be more “competent” than I am, even though we both obtained the same qualifications? And what does this have to do with Mkhize? Most chancellors wield no power…they are placed there honoralily. How did Langa and Ginwala change the way Makgoba does things? They didn’t. How will the appointment of Mkhize affect this?
Can u explain how mkhize is going to affect the operation of the institution.
I expected the article to provide concrete evidence to justify its claim that Dr Zweli Mkhize’s appointment is a blow to the university’s reputation.
All the article does is to just pass a pedestrian comment with personal bias, without providing reason why I, as a graduates and current masters student of UKZN, should be worried about having this supposedly bad influence as a university chancellor.
is he incompetent, not educated enough, or we just dont like him to be the university chancellor? why?
what is wrong having an alumni of the university as it’s chancellor?. he is a qualified medical doctor, a premier of the province. what qualities should one have to occupy a ceremonial position that has no executive powers?
in the media department of UKZN they taught me to always present a balanced account of events and view when writing a story and refrain from throwing in unsubstantiated personal views when writing for the public.
As a journalist Tom, you should know better than to feed us unjustifiable drivel that would shame even the most junior journalist/analyst.
UKZN has some problems as do all higher education institutions. The notion that UKZN’s reputation has been destroyed as of late is false. This university still produces top graduates and my department of Culture, Communication and Media Studies produces excellent scholarship and our graduates are sought after. We are a world leader in health communication promotion and strategies and our Kalahari research is still going strong. This trash UKZN bandwagon is getting a bit tedious and annoying as it is stated as a fact when the facts speak differently.
i doubt Uni KZN can get any worse; it has hit rock bottom.
Congratulation to Dr Mkhize and my alma mater on his appointment.I also graduated from the former University of Natal with a B.A LLB having majored in Comparative Goverment and Administration.The lecturers and Professors were simply brilliant.Sadly this dept was closed by University.The course work was vibrant and radical.The section on African political thought was truly inspirational. I pray and hope that the University authorities under leadership of Dr Mkhize seriously re-consider reopening “The Faculty of African Studies”.If this happens Tom I respectfully suggest you enrol.In the interim I recommend you read W.E.B.Du Bois books called “The Soul of Black Folk” ISBN 0-393-97393-x and Black Reconstruction in America ISBN 0684856573.
Proud Alumini
Let’s step back from the issue of colour for a moment, please. Mkize’s appointment is a political one, like Horwood’s, and shows the ANC mind set.
But it has little to contribute to UKZN problems. Certainly some technical departments have had accreditation issues and alumni have had to help. Beaver, I hope you had your time and cheque book ready. The quality of many lecturers and administrators leaves something to be desired.
How’s that for diplomacy. But it’s not new; alumni have had to put shoulder to the wheel well before 1994.