Toxic race row rocks KwaZulu university

Albert van Jaarsveld, vice-chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, has been accused of "racist tendencies" by disgruntled academics.

Van Jaarsveld - previously the National Research Foundation boss who joined the university in February - is said to have "excluded" Professor John Mubangizi when he approached investors for donations to move the university's business school to a more "scenic" location.

Seven executives who sit on Van Jaarsveld's 11-member executive team have now made a startling claim that he ignored Mubangizi, head of the college of law and management studies, to avoid scaring off "the whites-only investors".

The seven - who this week walked out of an executive meeting to express their disdain at Van Jaarsveld's leadership - charge that the vice-chancellor opted to rope in two white staffers, one of them Mubangizi's junior, to draft an investment proposal.

The senior academics, four of whom are deputy vice-chancellors, are also furious that Van Jaarsveld scored them one point out of five for performance.

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In a strongly worded, five-page letter addressed to university council chairman Ayanda Ntsaluba, they list Tongaat Hulett among the companies with which Van Jaarsveld has had funding discussions to move the business school to Umhlanga Ridge.

Mike Deighton, an executive at Tongaat Hulett, confirmed in a statement yesterday that the company had been in talks with the university, the objective of which was to contribute to eThekwini's aspiration of being recognised as a regional centre of higher education.

Mubangizi was among four deputy vice-chancellors who signed the letter. The others were professors Cheryl Potgieter (humanities), Deogratius Jaganyi (agriculture, engineering and science), and Renuka Vithal (teaching and learning). Lesiba Seshoka, director of corporate relations; Bulelani Mahlangu, chief financial officer; and Sibusiso Chalufu, the executive director of student services at the university, also endorsed the letter.

Mubangizi is understood to have only become aware of a plan to relocate the business school shortly before the proposal was submitted to the executive committee meeting.

"When questioned about this, he [Van Jaarsveld] had no explanation, but it was clear in his view that the head of the college, who is black, was going to scare the team of whites-only investors," reads the document.

"Dr Van Jaarsveld has demonstrated racist tendencies in dealing with black members of the executive," it adds.

Van Jaarsveld declined to respond to detailed questions.

Fanle Sibisi, president of the university's convocation, said it has not seen "anything wrong" with Van Jaarsveld's leadership of the institution.

"However, we can hear the noises from all corners of the institution - from the unions and the students to the management. We are committed to support Dr Albert at all levels but in the event that he is not performing, well, we will be left with no choice but to call for a better candidate.

"[If] people are delaying transformation, we shall remove them," said Sibisi.

The funding proposal, which has triggered the storm, notes that the business school has slipped in the rankings and is failing to attract "high-flying students".

This is a major concern both to internal and external stakeholders, according to the proposal.

The expectation is that funding and donations will enable the university to secure new premises.

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FNB, Clearwater Capital, Unilever, Spar, Aspen Pharmaceuticals, Mr Price and Deloitte are said to have expressed interest in the plan.

The Sunday Times was unable to get comment from Ntsaluba and Mubangizi.

The furore is threatening to spill into a broader race row as the seven executive members have also claimed that Van Jaarsveld actively "solicits" complaints against members of his executive.

The executives say that only one white executive member received a one-out-of-five performance evaluation. They say he should have been dismissed for "poor performance" a long time ago.

Van Jaarsveld withdrew the scores last weekend when some council members intervened.

The academics' other grievances against Van Jaarsveld include his alleged lack of familiarity with the university's policies and procedures. As a result, they say, he responds incorrectly to requests, fails to read and prepare for meetings, and has no appetite for transformation.

Seshoka, who is also the university spokesman, said he was not prepared to comment on the letter because it was not directed to a newspaper.