In August 2022, the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, Dr. Blade Nzimande appointed an Independent Assessor to investigate and establish the veracity of several reports about the University of South Africa (Unisa).
Unisa’s Professor Emeritus of Law, Professor Barney Pityana pointed out that the council needs to be dissolved, the Vice-Chancellor should face a disciplinary hearing, and an administrator should be appointed.
The Independent Assessor Professor N. Themba Mosia, said the integrity of the analysis or the investigation and the resultant findings and recommendations should and are predicated on independent facts and free of other influences.
Nzimande extended the appointment for a period not exceeding 90 days from 13 December 2022 and the investigation concluded within the stipulated timeframes.
Recently, the university acknowledged the Report of the Independent Assessor that came out on 12 May 2023.
In a statement, the university said:
The University wishes to appeal for patience and cooperation as it prepares a comprehensive response to the Assessor’s Report.
Unisa added that they will be making regular updates on the progress of their response and will also share the university’s final position on the matter as soon as possible.
The institution’s Council has revealed that it saw it fit to meet the expectations of the numerous internal and external stakeholders who have a legitimate interest in the affairs and future of the university.
As Unisa is busy finalising its response, it has staff members have been urged to continue working hard and all students to stay focused on their studies to ensure that the academic project remains firmly on track.
Nzimande has also thanked stakeholders who made presentations to the Independent Assessor, and all who cooperated to ensure that the investigation was done and concluded successfully.
The university has also welcomed any further investigations by relevant stakeholders and bodies.
Are Unisa Accounting Qualifications Legitimate?
The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) has given full accreditation status to accounting programmes that are offered by Unisa's College of Accounting Sciences.
SAICA assessed these programmes and found areas where the university could improve the fairness, validity, and integrity of assessments.
Unisa prides itself on being the largest contributor of accounting professionals in South Africa, producing the majority of chartered accountants in the country.
