City Press reports that criticised Unisa principal and vice-chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula last week allegedly went on a tirade, telling members of the university’s senate that she was not “a slay queen (a woman who likes to show off her luxurious lifestyle), devil and have never misused the university’s money”.
She was addressing the senate during a special meeting on Monday, a week after the release of damning findings by independent assessor Professor Themba Mosia against LenkaBula and the university council. In his 309-page report, Mosia revealed a “cauldron of instability characterised by a culture of fear, intimidation, bullying, maladministration, financial irregularities, poor student services, academic malpractices, leakage of confidential records, and questionable management and council decisions”. He recommended that LenkaBula and the university council be fired. The senate meeting was called by LenkaBula to table the Mosia report, which also recommended that Unisa be placed under administration. Professor Khehla Ndlovu, Unisa’s vice-principal for strategy, risk and advisory services, chaired the meeting, but LenkaBula allegedly dominated the proceedings. Instead of letting the senators deliberate over the report, LenkaBula addressed them first and indicated that the senate was a “friend of council”. Her remarks were seen as an attempt to sway the senators so that they would defend her and the council. One insider said LenkaBula spoke about how black women leaders at universities were under attack. She cited former University of Cape Town vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, Walter Sisulu University vice-chancellor Professor Rushiella Songca and Tshwane University of Technology vice-chancellor Professor Nthabiseng Ogude as examples.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Msindisi Fengu at City Press
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