Parliament’s Higher Education and Training Portfolio Committee is still studying a report in which the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is explaining its appointment of a security company, which is owned by its former employee, without publicly advertising the contract.
The committee questioned the university council’s decision to appoint Ungoti Security Company at the university’s Westville campus.
The committee had been told that the owner of Ungoti is the former university employee, Bhekithemba Lovemore Khumalo, who resigned but resurfaced as a consultant through his company and later became the de facto head of Risk Management Services (RMS).
It was alleged that Ungoti was initially appointed to provide accreditation services, which Khumalo did as an individual, but its mandate was later extended to RMS.
The committee had demanded that the university furnish it with a report on how Ungoti got the tender and how Ungoti’s former employee, Richard Nkosi, became the head of RMS at the Howard College campus.
Parliamentary committee Chairperson Tebogo Letsie said upon receiving the report from the university, the committee would debate it in the National Assembly before National Assembly Speaker Thokozile Didiza submits the committee’s recommendations to Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela for a response.
Responding to a media inquiry on Saturday, Letsie said the committee has not finished reading the responses, which it received from UKZN on October 31 and accepted by its members on November 12.
“Reports are accepted by their committees before being debated in the National Assembly (NA)’s full sitting, and the report has now been sent to the speaker for consideration,” said Letsie.
He said after studying the report, Parliament would make a follow-up by writing back to the university.
“The report hasn’t been debated in the NA; the speaker hasn’t submitted the recommendation of the report to the minister, as the report is not yet a National Assembly report.
“She (speaker) can only do so (sending the recommendations to the minister) after the report has been debated and accepted by the House,” said Letsie.
UKZN’s Executive Director for Corporate Relations, Normah Zondo, said the university was waiting for feedback from the committee.
“As this matter is properly before Parliament, UKZN will not provide any additional comments or information to the media at this stage,” she said.
bongani.hans@inl.co.za
