• Unisa is to be placed under the administration of the Department of Higher Education.
• This was after Minister Blade Nzimande received an independent report telling of financial and other maladministration at the university.
• Unisa is no stranger to such allegations and in 2021 another report called the institution a ‘corrupt qualifications factory.’

The South African government is set to step in and take a more hands-on approach when it comes to the University of South Africa (Unisa).

After years of alleged maladministration at the University of South Africa (Unisa), Minister Blade Nzimande of the Department of Higher Education says the university will be placed under government administration.

As per News24, Nzimande has written to the Unisa council chairperson James Maboa last week to inform the council of government’s decision to appoint an administrator to the university.

“Minister Nzimande intends to exercise his powers in terms of Section 49B of the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997, which empowers him to appoint an administrator. In terms of Section 49E of the Higher Education Act, the council of Unisa will be dissolved upon the appointment of an administrator,” said Nzimande’s spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi.

This decision was influenced by damning independent reports from assessor Professor Themba Mosia and a department task team.

In the report, it was revealed that Unisa is dealing with “financial and other maladministration.”

In 2021, the validity and quality of Unisa’s certifications came into question as a report was drawn up indicating that the university was a “qualification’s factory” and that it contained an “all-pervasive culture of corruption, impunity, conflict, fear and intimidation.”

That same year students of the university took to social media to air their grievances with #UselessUnisa as they struggled to get access to any of the institution’s online resources, the only means to access assignments and marks.

Technical glitches of important software are all too common at Unisa, with an example emerging year after year of how its IT implementation has failed students. Last year some students were affected by “technical glitches” during their writing of online exams. Some students could not complete their exams because of this.