University of Fort Hare to appear before Higher Education Committee on DA’s request

3 September 2015

The DA’s request that the University of Fort Hare come before the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training to account for the litany of problems crippling its ability to deliver quality education to its students, has been agreed to by the committee Chairperson, Mrs Yvonne Phosa.

Representatives from the University will come before the committee on Tuesday, 8 September 2015, and have much to answer for.

Yesterday the situation at the University escalated further when the Bisho Campus was closed as a result of failure to pay staff salaries since January. This is of great concern to the DA as it could have detrimental effects on the ability of students at Fort Hare to complete this year’s curriculum.

The challenges at this University are significant and include allegations that:

- The University has illegally used NSFAS money to pay staff salaries;

- The University is technically bankrupt and has a deficit of over R100 million;

- A forensic report by private company FastTrac, found that the current financial situation is now so serious that the University could run out of money by next month;

- The Council itself has failed in its governance responsibility to identify and act to reverse the dire financial situation, which would have been apparent in the 2013 financial statements;

- The Council approved tuition fee increases of 10% and 15% last year, which has decreased the amount available for allowances for food and textbooks;

- The University is using money from fee waivers meant for academically performing students to cover their NSFAS deficit on meals; and

- Lectures at the Bisho campus of the University were suspended yesterday as staff salaries have not been paid since January of this year.

The DA has raised these issues with the University management and the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, but has not yet received responses.

This sheer lack of will to deal decisively with the many problems at the University speaks of a department and University management who do not care for the wellbeing or education of the students at the University.

The DA will also ask whether any action has been taken against those responsible for the irregular awarding of a R400 million contract for student accommodation at the University, that was set aside recently by the High Court

The DA looks forward to engaging with the University to ensure that the concerns of the students are addressed and that their interests are put first and are protected.

Statement issued by Yusuf Cassim, DA shadow deputy minister of higher education and training, 3 September 2015