[DEBATE] : (Fwd) UKZN Report blasted

[Patrick Bond]

The Witness

Unclear UKZN Report
20 May 2009

Last year the University of KwaZulu-Natal appointed a seven-person 
Governance and Academic Freedom Committee to probe accusations that UKZN 
vice chancellor Malegapuru Makgoba was managing the institution with an 
iron hand and curbing academic freedom. This week the committee reported 
that, despite 103 submissions to the contrary, it had found no evidence 
of infringement of academic freedom at UKZN, and no threat to the right 
to teach, study and do research there. It did note that “a sector” 
within the university fears that when it voices opinions going beyond 
teaching, study and research, its rights to freedom of expression may be 
suppressed and it may be subjected to disciplinary action. The committee 
found that race, racism and transformation are “a major challenge” to 
the institution, and recommended that a joint task team review 
disciplinary policies, processes and procedures.

In a separate report, Selby Baqwa, SC, appointed independent observer 
over the committee, approved its findings, ignoring questions relating 
to its legitimacy raised by the National Tertiary Education Staff Union 
and others. The union had submitted that the selection of committee 
members had been designed by university management “and their cronies”.

While the full report will be made public after it’s tabled before the 
university senate on May 27, its full text is unlikely to be more 
enlightening than the summary released to the press on Monday, weighty 
with long words and bewildering jargon. Those who care about UKZN are 
all too aware of the recent history of acrimony and unhappiness there, 
of protest and of its regular muzzling by Makgoba. They’re aware, too — 
if only because of articles by various academic figures in this 
newspaper — that UKZN has become a place unconducive to teaching, study 
and research, a place where the primary aim is no longer the 
time-honoured “search for truth” but to be run dictatorially as a 
business by tiers of managers receiving huge salaries. In light of this, 
it seems probable that the report of this committee, disregarding over 
100 submissions, and repeatedly trotting out stale catchwords without 
giving clear definitions or precise instances, is a whitewash, designed 
to maintain the status quo, cement Makgoba’s position, and silence 
justifiable protest for good. If there are problems at the university 
they need to be teased out in public, with full and detailed 
explanations and plans for their solution. The committee’s report does 
none of these things.

***

The Mercury

Mixed reaction to UKZN report

May 20, 2009 Edition 1

Latoya Newman

THE FINDINGS of a special committee set up to investigate governance and 
academic freedom at the University of KwaZulu-Natal have been welcomed, 
but its "self-serving definition" of academic freedom has drawn flak.

This week the university released the executive summary of a report by 
the governance and academic freedom committee.

The body was appointed by the university's council in December following 
a controversial public debate on academic freedom sparked by a series of 
events involving disciplinary action taken against physics professor 
Nithaya Chetty and mathematics professor John van den Berg in July last 
year. The pair were alleged to have brought the university into 
disrepute by communicating with the media.

Jane Duncan, of the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI), said the 
committee defined academic freedom so "narrowly" the university's 
broader disputes had not been addressed.

"The right to teach, learn and research was not really the issue. What 
was questioned was the right of academics to criticise the manner in 
which teaching, learning and research happen at a university; the right 
for them to engage in public debates and comment to the media," Duncan said.

"The Unesco definition of academic freedom considers this and is much 
broader. If they had considered this they would have had to arrive at 
the conclusion that there have been violations on academic freedom. 
Their definition is self-serving."

Duncan said the FXI welcomed recommendations that UKZN's dispute 
resolution mechanisms be reviewed and that the "underscoring" race, 
racism and transformation remained an issue.

The chairman of the National Tertiary Education Staff Union at UKNZ, 
Nirmala Gopal, said the recommendations were positive.

"I hope there will be some kind of watchdog mechanism to ensure the 
outcomes are being achieved in some way. We should give this a chance 
and hope at the end of the day we arrive at a better working and 
learning environment for all."

Chetty, now an associate professor at the University of Pretoria, said 
the fight for an intellectually freer UKZN would be "long and arduous".

He said the many controversies that had "dogged" UKZN over recent years 
had severely undermined everything the institution could be.

"Seen in this light, the recommendations of the committee are only a 
first step to righting the course of the be- leaguered institution. It 
is my hope that all sectors within the university - and especially the 
management - will work conscientiously to realise the outcomes of this 
committee."

Independent assessor Selby Baqwa, SC, released his findings on the 
committee's processes earlier this week. He said the processes were 
"transparent, credible, lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair".