By Simphiwe Zungu
As attention wanes over the recent Independent Assessor Report at the University of South Africa (Unisa), Dr Barney Pityana, a former Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the institution, continues being a vocal critic of its current VC, Professor Puleng LenkaBula. Pityana has demanded LenkaBula’s removal and the Council replaced by the Administrator - but is Pityana above reproach?
Pityana’s past is marked by allegations of lavish spending, mismanagement, and financial indiscretion, throwing a disconcerting shade of hypocrisy on his current stance. Pityana faced severe criticism in 2002 when he was embroiled in a scandal over alleged mismanagement and misuse of university funds for personal benefit. His extravagant spending habits drew widespread attention and instigated a media war that tainted his tenure at Unisa.
The Mail & Guardian extensively reported on Pityana’s allged extravagant waste and spending habits. The most notable case involved the official VC’s residence, Cloghereen. The university had initially sold the residence, but Pityana decided to cancel the sale, costing Unisa a staggering R1.7 million (equivalent to 4.6 million rand in 2023 at a 5.76% inflation rate).
The controversy did not stop there. M&G reported that “Unisa is lavishing millions of rands on accommodation for its new vice-chancellor, Dr Barney Pityana, in a stately historic mansion in Pretoria. Renovations to the property will clock in at conservatively R2-million (eq. R5.5m in 2023).” Pityana also attracted criticism for spending R1.5 million (eq. R4.1m in 2023) on refurbishing his executive offices at Unisa.
Wring for Sunday Times, Pityana said: “Upon assuming office, LenkaBula overspent the budget for the refurbishment of official residence, Cloghereen, as well as for the purchase of an official vehicle for the vice-chancellor’s use.” But Pityana did worse, going as far as and went as far as spending R212 000 (eq. R800 000 in 2023) from Unisa’s coffers for his own inauguration celebrations.
“Further depleting Unisa’s coffers are some lavish travel expenditure. Pityana and McCaps Motimele flew first class to the United States in March on a fund-raising trip. First-class return tickets between Johannesburg and New York cost about R50 000 each,” the M&G report states.
Under Pityana, “a raft of legal cases, all of which involve Unisa’s controversial Council and Motimele in particular, is also hitting Unisa’s finances hard. The cases have run up horrific costs, according to a senior management official. In two cases alone, those involving Professors Margaret Orr and Annel van Aswegen, Unisa has racked up R600 000 in legal expenses, the M&G understands. Orr alleges that Motimele sexually harassed her two years ago.” The report continues. The sexual harassment case ended with Motimele resigning as Council chair and a R150,000 settlement.
The picture of a Unisa under Pityana is far from what he is calling for under LenkaBula.
During a turbulent press conference then, Pityana defended his actions, insisting: “It has never been my practice to demand any more than I am entitled to”. Referring to the allegations that R1.5-million (eq. R4.1m in 2023) had been spent on renovating his executive offices at Unisa, Pityana said it was “normal” for senior executives to refurbish their offices according to their taste when assuming office. LenkaBula has never spent exorbitant amounts pimping up her office, and the Facility Management offices undertook the university residence upgrades.
Now, fast forward. Pityana stands in judgement of LenkaBula’s two-year tenure at the university and the renovation expenditure not controlled by her. There is an undeniable irony in Pityana’s call for accountability, considering the controversy that shrouded his tenure as principal and VC. Pityana and the Council then did not “resign” or face disciplinary action for its controversies.
Pityana’s criticism of LenkaBula must be viewed in the context of his own past and the ensuing scandal, which he himself never quite managed to shake off. Critics have pointed out that Pityana’s current stance smacks of hypocrisy. Is he applying a double standard, one for himself and another for the current VC? These are questions that linger as the dispute unfolds. After all, a look at Pityana’s history shows that he did not heed his advice when he was in the principal’s seat.
The Star