Issued by Department of Education
Professor Kader Asmal, MP, Minister of Education, today, 05 October 1999, received an informal report of the reaction of the Council of the Mangosuthu Technikon to the report of the independent assessor appointed by the Minister. This report recommended am ongst others, the dismissal of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Aaron Ndlovu.
The Minister has received representations from the Students Representative Council (SRC) and Nutesa (staff union) in which both structures demanded the immediate dismissal of the Vice-Chancellor.
The Minister is making an urgent appeal to staff and students to remove the barricades to the entrance to the Technikon and to refrain from other violent activities. Students should also refrain from excluding Management from the campus. The Minister regar ds these actions as illegal and potentially violent. The Minister calls on the Technikon Management to call on the South African Police Services to enforce free access to the Technikon.
Minister Asmal said: "A technikon is a place for learning and academic discourse and should be respected as such. My door is always open for students and staff members to make representations. The present occasion and the exclusion of staff are totally una cceptable."
The Minister has asked the Deputy Director-General in the Department of Education, Mr Thami Mseleku, to visit the Technikon on his behalf.
The Minister insisted that he is prepared to talk about the Council’s reaction concerning Professor Ndlovu only after the violence at the Technikon has ended.
5 October 1999
Enquiries: Bheki Khumalo, tel (012) 3260126 or 082 781 2660