Issues at Stake: Sad decline of a valuable asset

Since opening its doors in 1960, the University of Zululand (Unizulu) has always had to overcome adversity to stake a claim of legitimacy.

For the first three-and-a-half decades of its existence it was always considered by its peers as an inferior creature of the then apartheid system, an ethnic bush college not worthy of acceptance by its peers as an academic institution of merit.

Yet, despite the many obstacles and constant political turmoil, which often caused it to be at war with itself, committed leadership and a core group of exceptional hard-working academics gradually dragged the university to a point of respectability.

By the late 1980s the university progressed sufficiently to boast pockets of true excellence.

Among others, its human movement science and nanotechnology departments were rated equal to the best in the country, the law faculty and languages departments were held in high esteem by their colleagues at South Africa’s Ivy League institutions – all which resulted in substantial national and foreign ratings and research grant investments.

Perhaps even more significant was Unizulu’s geographic location. By sheer coincidence rather than design by the apartheid architects, the university found itself perfectly positioned to capitalise on the development of the Richards Bay harbour, turning the region into South Africa’s premier economic growth point.

The confluence of reaching academic maturity at the same time of robust economic expansion and the opening of doors to opportunity post the 1994 democracy, meant Zululand’s foremost tertiary facility was poised to soar towards a new level of greatness.

Instead, Unizulu has seemingly gone the way of so many parastatals such as Eskom, the Post Office and SA Airways, its effectiveness and reputation left in tatters because of political gamesmanship, lack of visionary leadership and corruption.

Revelations
In the matter of only a few months this year the university’s already brittle status has been further dismantled by a series of shocking revelations of degrees for sale and now sex for grades scandals.

This on the back of ongoing internal turmoil and questionable spending on luxury housing for executives while many students live in squalor.

The tragedy of the negative perceptions created – and remember perception is reality in the public mind – is that the integrity of the majority of committed personnel quietly going about their business to try and keep the unravelling strands together, is nevertheless tarnished by default as well.

So too are the qualifications of honest and hard-working students placed in a state of question.

Most puzzling amid the disorder are the sounds of silence emanating from the KwaDlangezwa headquarters.

One would expect dynamic leadership and vigorous actions of damage control in these challenging times, but nothing has been forthcoming.

The Zululand community cannot stand idly by witnessing the decline of one of its biggest assets.

Perhaps the university’s alumni, business and community leaders should form a lobby group to demand intervention and the restoration of integrity and pride.