ELECTION OF PROF. PITYANA TO UCT CONVOCATION
27th February 2015
The Higher Education Transformation Network (HETN), acting on behalf of its alumni members, notes the recent appointment of Prof Barney Pityana as Chairperson of the Convocation of the University of Cape Town (UCT).
Whilst we note this development, we remain skeptical regarding the potential impact arising from Prof Pityana's new role at the institution given Prof Pityana's background as a former Vice-Chancellor and Chairperson of the ethically moribund Higher Education South Africa (HESA), the trade union of SA Vice Chancellors.
We fail to see the potential impact arising from Prof Pityana's role given the unabated racism proliferating at UCT and in the higher education sector in which HESA leadership has consistently failed to meaningfully address repetitive incidents in which its own member Vice-Chancellors have absconded on their respective mandates to ensure tangible transformation and the elimination of racism in higher education.
The Network has highlighted repeated examples of certain Vice-Chancellors (including a recent former Chairperson of HESA) who continued to allow the practicing of racist workplace practices, tolerated the forging of open alliances with racist political entities, continued practising secret hidden salary bands that perpetuate discriminatory remuneration between black and white employees, victimised black students and staff, continued to flout employment equity and labour relations legislation as well as allegedly committed fraud.
It is our opinion that Prof Pityana's management thinking has long been influenced by the tolerance of institutional racism, myopia and groupthink proliferating within the corridors of HESA as the representative body of higher education managers.
We further confirm that we are at an advanced stage with regards to serving our legal summonses on UCT for its new admissions policy which does not advance transformation at the institution and seeks to victimise the disadvantaged.
Statement issued by Mr Lucky Thekisho: Chairperson of the Board, Higher Education Transformation Network (HETN), February 27 2015
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