Скачать или смотреть UNISA Vice Chancellor Responds To Corruption Allegations

The ongoing crisis at the University of South Africa (UNISA) has escalated in recent days, with explosive allegations of corruption and misconduct leveled against Vice-Chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula, culminating in a formal legal demand for her immediate suspension.

Key Stories

*VC Suspension Demanded:* Whistle-blower lawyers have formally requested the immediate suspension of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Puleng LenkaBula, citing corruption and abuse of power.
*R82 Million Tender Scandal:* The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, Mr. Tebogo Letsie, had to publicly refute a December 6, 2025, newspaper report that falsely linked him to an R82 million UNISA security tender.
*Whistleblower Victimisation Allegations:* Legal representatives of suspended acting Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Dr. Reshma Mathura, and director Donald Ndlovu allege that both officials were suspended after questioning financial irregularities and co-operating with a Hawks corruption probe.

Body

The University of South Africa is facing its deepest governance crisis yet, with a legal letter sent to the Council demanding the immediate removal of Vice-Chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula. The whistle-blower's attorneys accuse the VC of corruption, financial misconduct, and abusing power, arguing her presence interferes with ongoing investigations. Among the explosive allegations is the claim that LenkaBula misused university funds, including spending over R200 million on legal fees to protect her position, and awarded an R82 million security tender to an ANC Member of Parliament (MP). This last point was recently thrust into the spotlight when the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Mr. Tebogo Letsie, was forced to release a statement on December 8, 2025, denying a misleading newspaper report that claimed he personally benefited from the R82 million security tender.

The crisis is compounded by the alleged victimisation of senior finance staff. AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, representing both the suspended acting CFO, Dr. Reshma Mathura, and the director of expenditure, Donald Ndlovu, maintains the officials were targeted for exposing corruption, including the alleged R500,000 expenditure by UNISA management to attend an ANC gala dinner. The unit has criticized the UNISA management for allegedly withholding critical information from independent investigators and acting with "lightning speed" to suspend whistleblowers, while ignoring forensic reports that implicate other senior managers in corruption amounting to millions.

Conclusion

The UNISA Council now faces immense pressure from legal teams to act on the demand for the Vice-Chancellor's immediate suspension.
The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is expected to be closely monitoring the new allegations involving senior political figures and massive tenders.
The legal battles involving suspended senior finance officials, Dr. Mathura and Mr. Ndlovu, continue as their representatives allege a concerted effort by management to conceal criminality.

Tags

UNISA, ProfessorPulengLenkaBula, HigherEducation, Corruption, SouthAfricaNews, AfriForum, DrReshmaMathura, VC, HigherEducationCrisis, TebogoLetsie, FinancialMisconduct, Whistleblower