Unisa boss accused of protecting suspended Dlamini

UNISA Vice-Chancellor and Principal Puleng LenkaBula has been accused of protecting acting executive director Dr Phumzile Dlamini.

On September 26 Dlamini was suspended for bullying and abusing her colleagues and for calling one of the employee a kwerekwere in one of the MS Team’s meeting.

A letter dated September 26 on her impending suspension accuses Dlamini of a series of transgressions.

These include sabotaging the work of the registrar department, victimising and bullying employees and altering a contract without having authority to do so and inciting staff to complain against its management.

A source who spoke to The Star on condition of anonymity said the rest of the university’s management team was distancing itself from the vice-chancellor’s shenanigans which include overturning Dlamimi’s suspension and protecting her against disciplinary processes into her conduct.

“Mancom (management committee) is completely distancing itself from the vice-chancellor’s shenanigans, to an extent that she is now relying on lower level staff and her henchmen for support. VP Institutional Development Dr Mokgobu suspended one of his subordinates Dr Phumzile Dlamini who is executive director for human resources. This executive has put the whole department into disrepute to an extent of discriminating among the staff, driving xenophobia within the university, calling staff members that are rightfully employed by the university makwerekwere. The VC in turn overturned this suspension without providing any reason for it. This is the kind of support that the VC is clutching onto since her MANCOM is making it clear that it will not support her tendencies,” the source said.

Other allegations against Dlamini stated in the letter include getting instructions to sabotage the work of the registrar by not implementing appointments in that department. It is also alleged that she conducted HR placement processes in the registrar without approval as well as having bullied and victimised employees after sending rude and semantically reckless emails and copying members of the executives.

“On or about August 20, 2022, during a MS Team’s meeting to address the placement of 91 employees at DSAA you were xenophobic towards Ms Mhepo in that you called her kwerekwere and stated that because of this she will not be considered for appointment as deputy director,” Mokgobu says in the memo.

Furthermore Dlamini is accused of inciting staff to lodge complaints against their seniors and for altering a fixed contract appointment of ER specialist without authority to do so.

“Inciting staff to lodge complaints or grievances against their line managers by alleging that they are overworked and are ready to collapse. Furthermore, instructing employees at talent management to leave the office at 4pm no later without consulting the line manager. Victimising and bullying employees by sending rude and semantically reckless emails copying members of the executive management unnecessary with the intention of discrediting and impairing their dignity with unsubstantiated claims,” Mokgobu alleges.

The letter of suspension dated September 26 sent by vice-principal of institutional development Dr Phasoane Mokgobu states that Dlamini will be suspended on September 30 following serious allegations against her.

“Your current position as acting executive director of human resources will cease on 30 September 2022 and you must return to your substantive position as deputy director of governance and leadership management DLT office of the principal and vice-chancellor,” the letter reads.

However on September 30 Dlamimi’s suspension was overturned by the vice-chancellor.

“Please kindly note that Dr Phumzile Dlamini will continue to act as executive director HR till 30 December 2022, as her secondment letter states. Please note that the acting arrangements will not change. This is in line with the declaration of authority framework and associated policies,” Lenkabula said in her letter to Mokgobu.

The source said this proves that the vice-chancellor is protecting Dlamini who is a law unto herself. He said most of the staff members were frustrated by the VC’s conduct after she overturned the suspension order made by Mokgobu.

“This is a clear demonstration that the VC undermines everyone’s authority. Dr Dlamini is an acting executive director HR who does not know what she’s doing to an extent that she even calls staff makwerekwere yet the VC protects her,” he said.

Efforts to get comment from the university were unsuccessful. Dlamini was also not available for comment after the Star sent emails and SMSes. The university media officer Edgar Rathelele promised to revert to The Star by 6pm but had not done so at the time of going to print.