Fort Hare Convocation wants independent probe into graft claims
The University of Fort Hare Convocation has accused management of ignoring their concerns over the state of the institution.
The university has been in the news amid allegations of large-scale fraud, corruption, death, dilapidated infrastructure, student financial woes and violence.
On Sunday, 12 students from the university were arrested for causing malicious damage to property and business burglary during what is believed to have been a dispute over examinations.
Convocation President Andile Mini said since 2021, their attempts to engage with the management on the issues have fallen on deaf ears.
“It is public knowledge that the university has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. Its reputation has been significantly tarnished and its image greatly compromised due to high-profile news reports involving allegations of academic fraud and corruption.
“We are clear that the university must root out corruption, but an act of rooting out corruption must be balanced, it must not be done at the expense of tainting the university’s reputation.”
Mini said they have written to Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande to ask for an investigation into allegations of fraud.
“We firmly believe that this investigation must be conducted by an independent entity of the university which possesses the necessary expertise to address systematic academic policy and processes that have faced our institution.”
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