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2 February 2009

Minister Pandor appoints Prof Jansen as an administrator to head Mangosuthu University of Technology

The Minister of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor, today announced the appointment of Professor Jonathan Jansen as the administrator of the Mangosuthu University of Technology. Professor Jansen's appointment follows a request to the Minister by the Council of the University to assist in carrying out the recommendations of the report of the Independent Assessor.

As administrator, Professor Jansen will take over the management and administration of the University for a period of six months. It is expected that he will spend his first day in office on Wednesday, 4 February 2009.

Professor Jansen has substantial experience as Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria, has served as the administrator for Durban University of Technology in 2007 and is currently an extraordinary professor of education at the University the Witwatersrand.

The Minister's intervention was initiated at the request of the Chair of Council, Mr Obed Mlaba, in September 2008 who stated that a special meeting of Council had resolved that 'a thorough and independent assessment of the affairs of the University be conducted with respect to governance, management and employment relations.'

In terms of the Higher Education Act, an independent assessor was appointed with specific terms of reference. The assessor and a team of specialists concluded their task and a report on this investigation were published in the Government Gazette on 10 December 2008.

The report recommended that the Minister should appoint an administrator in terms of Section 41A of the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997. In addition, the report recommends that the Vice-Chancellor should be suspended pending further investigation and the formulation of specific charges. The Chair of Council notified the Minister, that the Council of MUT had acted immediately in effecting the suspension of the Vice-Chancellor and that they awaited the appointment of an Administrator to assist in restoring good governance, management and administration at the Mangosuthu University of Technology.

Council welcomes this intervention by the Minister and accepts the recommendations and the appointment of the Administrator. The restoration of good governance to the university is critical to Council and as such they look forward to working with Professor Jansen in the next few months.

Enquiries:
Lunga Ngqengelele
Ministerial Spokesperson
Tel: 012 312 5538
Cell: 082 566 0446
E-mail: ngqengelele.l@doe.gov.za

Diana Hoorzuk
Council of Mangosuthu University of Technology
Cell: 083 784 4208

Issued by: Ministry of Education
2 February 2009