In the public interest, the matter cannot be regarded as neutral or technical. It is of public national interest, urgent, and requires the ethical involvement of university executive management committees. The unemployment rate in South Africa is unprecedented; it is in a crisis mode. There is a high number of unemployed graduates from the same public institutions, and they are in a state of precarity. This context explains why some, if not most, South African public universities are hiring foreign nationals for non-critical or scarce positions under labour law.
The employment trends must be linked to their taxpayer funding obligations and patriotic moral obligations. Foreign nationals can only be employed in critical, scarce skills in both academic and administrative positions, while there are abundant, qualified South African nationals. These kinds of VCs are trying to neutralise the country’s labour laws.
Excellence and internationalisation dogmas cannot supersede labour laws and the national transformation agenda. They cannot undermine domestic unemployment realities. These practices by VCs shift their academic-centredness toward a more rhetorical, verbose style.
Most Black South African young professionals, mostly academic, are trapped in endless short-term contracts without a succession strategy. They are undermining the ability of foreign nationals to get stable university careers at the expense of their qualifications and experience. VCs are sceptical about providing the Parliament Oversight Committee on Higher Education with a detailed, transparent report on trends and numbers of foreigners employed at universities. This ignorance is not leadership; it is just pure scapegoating.
There is no intention to attack foreign nationals or to be xenophobic, and their deep contributions to the country’s development are acknowledged. However, South Africa first is being patriotic. The flouting of labour laws by VCs is criminal, not academic, and professional. South African nationals’ employment is not an option; it is a priority.
With due respect, but without any apologies for the hurt caused by this article.
By
Dr Sefoko Ramoshaba
064 709 2097
