Many great universities that have collapsed in the African continent did not collapse in a single day. It was destroyed piece by piece, in a meticulous, snail-paced manner, by people on low incomes, under the failed leadership of executive management. The leadership categories normally encompass University Councils and or Vice-Chancellors. The main symptoms of these failures are colour-coded as poor governance, financial irregularities, and interference by non-university actors in university management, mostly politicians.
Most noted African universities that are dysfunctional and or were once dysfunctional through failure of university governance structures are as follows: Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Walter Sisulu University (WSU), Vaal University of Technology (VUT), Central University of Technology (CUT), University of Limpopo (UL), Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) and ad infinitum. The problems that led to the dysfunctionality of these universities included poor university governance structures, elevated levels of corruption and kleptocracy, and the appointment of unqualified Vice-Chancellors and University Council members. The University of Fort Hare has been a crime scene for the past few years, including the Walter Sisulu University (WSU).
These kinds of governance challenges have been observed at the University of South Africa and the University of Cape Town, where internal governance disputes occur at the highest levels of power. The so-called top universities are also prone to governance failures and or challenges.
Some universities become dysfunctional because the Vice-Chancellors are corruption busters, and the internal and external university criminal networks begin to create chaos, making the university ungovernable. Universities become crime scenes and battle grounds. Forthare University has been in the same situation for the past few years.
Some universities collapse due to executive management’s failure to manage high debt levels, corruption, low staff morale, and endless strikes and shutdowns. Some universities are grappling with the fight for control of university resources between destructive Vice-Chancellors and Councils, and with the appointment of Vice-Chancellors based on political affiliation rather than qualifications and experience. —
REMOVING BARRIERS FOR A FUNCTIONAL AND STABLE UNIVERSITY:
Corruption and crony capitalism within governance structures; leadership patronage; management appointments based on race, creed, political affiliation, and/or loyalty; lack of oversight; poor fiscal controls; and poor management. Corrupt entrepreneurship within supply chain management, mismanagement of payroll like ghost workers, unstable governance structures, dilapidated infrastructure, universities offering non-accredited qualifications, capture of university resources by criminal and business cartels, poor university vision and lack of research output.
These universities become shells of large infrastructure with no intellectual content within their campuses and complexes.
By
Dr Sefoko Ramoshaba
0647092097
