Unisa welcomes interdict against move to place it under administration

The High Court in Pretoria on Friday granted an interdict to the Unisa council preventing Nzimande from placing the institution under administration.

The order came a day after Nzimande served notice of his intention to place Unisa under administration amid concerns over governance at the country’s oldest university.

It is also facing claims of maladministration and tender fraud.

An independent report commissioned by the Department of Higher Education recommended the institution be placed under administration.

In a statement, the university stated that the institution has always maintained that the report was fundamentally flawed and its recommendations misplaced.

"The university has taken the report on legal review to be set aside. Until the side of the university is properly heard in a legal review, in a court of law, the university believes that it is premature for the minister to implement the recommendations of the independent assessor,” Unisa said on Friday.

"Unisa also believes that the institution of an administration is not necessary and may only serve to harm the university. Unisa wishes to assure the public that the academic programme of the university remains intact, and its finances are healthy."

In May,  the Council on Higher Education issued its Institutional Audit Report that affirmed that Unisa’s academic programme and quality assurance systems were largely intact and governed according to the norms and standards of the sector.

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