Communist cadres, I fully support the call for the appointment of a new rector to lead UNISA. One of the chief challenges of deepening higher education transformation in general has been the appointment of leadership (VC's) - agents of change with clear mandates to entrench effective admission policies biased towards redressing past inequalities to ensure equal access without resorting to arbitrary exclusions which majority of affected students are black and Africans in particular. Such a desired state has stumbling blocks like Barney Pityane's types at the helm and being part of the bloc aimed at frustrating every effort to realise the ruling party's election manifesto and its objectives - simply because they hate the new phase of the NDR. This is the reason there has been instability and leadership tensions to the level which the student body was undermined, as such mass action, police intervention and disruption of classes took centre stage. In any academic environment, all of this leads to crisis, contributing towards high failure rate and reduction of intake of new students in the following year. These are some of the challenges that need us to revisit the appointment of the VC - a person who must fully execute duties of the principal and accounting officer as well as serving as the chairperson of the Senate, and not hold any political office or membership of any political party. It's for this reason that Pityane is not anywhere fit to occupy the office of the rector because he is the opposite of what the Higher Education Act prescribes of the incumbent rector of the higher education institution. The time has come to eliminate all destructive and counter-revolutionary elements within our institutions. Down with Pityane and his ilks! Forward with the appointment of a well-balanced and befitting rector to take Unisa to greater heights. Amandla Awethu! Morgan Phaahla, Ekurhuleni
"Sometimes, if you wear suits for too long, it changes your ideology." - Joe Slovo --- On Wed, 12/2/09, Gugu Ndima <[email protected]> wrote: From: Gugu Ndima <[email protected]> Subject: [YCLSA Discussion] The Young Communist League Calls for a Well- Balanced and Befitting New Rector for UNISA To: [email protected] Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 5:32 AM The Young Communist League Calls for a Well- Balanced and Befitting New Rector for UNISA 02 December 2009 The Young Communist League of South Africa (UFasimba) notes the reappointment of Transvaal Judge President, Ngoepe as a Chancellor of University of South Africa (UNISA) and the process to be undertaken in the University community and their integrity in looking for the best Vice Chancellor. The Young Communist League has an interest in who will be a Rector of such an important institution of higher learning, a University that was a citadel and a façade of white academic privilege. It is our view that a lot still needs to be done in transforming that institution so that it really becomes a gateway of academic excellence with more support to the black previously disadvantaged students. Our hopes were elevated five (5) years ago with the appointment of Barney Pityana as a Vice Chancellor that a radical turnaround was to be seen. Unfortunately Pityana had allowed himself to drawn in the white castle and had turned his rifle against those he was appointed to serve – black students. He has failed to address the quality of paper markings for students directed to white Lecturers and hence more unwarranted failures, the problem of study materials, his interference to students governance matters and non recognition of SRC. In 2008 he spent a lot of time doing COPE work than University duties in the height of problems in the University. The YCL cannot wait until his term of office lapses. He represents what we cannot brazenly wield as pride from an African academic administrator. We are calling for a painstaking search for someone who will equal the challenge and address the backlogs that are barely institutionalized currently undressed by Pityana in terms of transformation for UNISA. Issued by the YCLSA Head office Contact Gugu Ndima National spokesperson (YCLSA) 076 783 1516 -- Gugu Ndima +27 76 783 1516 -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
