New administrator appointed at embattled Fort Hare university

Higher education minister Blade Nzimande has appointed a new administrator for Fort Hare university.

Nzimande announced the appointment of Nhlanganiso Dladla in a government gazette published on Thursday.

“My predecessor, [Naledi] Pandor, MP, appointed Prof Loyiso Nongxa as the administrator of UFH in order to restore proper governance at the university,” Nzimande said.

Nongxa's duties included:

• Taking over the role, powers, functions and duties of the council for a period of 12 months;
• Initiating processes and initiatives that will restore proper governance at the university;
• Ensuring that an independent investigation is conducted into the affairs of the university particularly in light of, among other things, the resignations, suspensions and dismissals that have taken place; alleged financial irregularities and other related matters that have contributed to the current state of affairs; and the collapse of governance at the university;
• Implementing the process of reviewing and revising the current statute of the university in terms of Section 32 of the Higher Education Act, No 101 of 1997, as amended (the Act) and its approval in terms of Section 33, and; 
• Reviewing the office of the registrar, identify and initiate processes to address any deficiencies to ensure its optimal functioning in order to support the governance and management delivery of the university.

“Prof Nongxa has performed the work as per the terms of reference, and reported to me on a quarterly basis. The outstanding task is the constitution of the council in terms of the newly developed statute.

“Given the expiry of his term of office, I have appointed Mr Nhlanganiso Dladla as the new administrator of the University of Fort Hare,” Nzimande said.

Dladla's duties will be to:

• Carry out the role, exercise the powers, perform the functions and execute the duties of the council to the extent that such role, powers, functions and duties relate to governance, and;
• Ensure that a new council is constituted in accordance with the institutional statutes within six months.