Mangosuthu University of Technology. | Supplied
Durban — Thousands of Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) former Civil Engineering students are holding “questionable” qualifications following the surfacing of allegations that one of the lecturers was passing them in exchange for sex and money.
The lecturer was said to have started the practice soon after joining the institution in 2011. A source within the university who spoke to the Daily News on condition of anonymity, because he feared reprisals since he was not authorised to speak to the media, said he did not understand why this matter wasn’t disclosed to the public.
He said they were internally informed that the lecturer had been suspended but the management did not give reasons for his suspension. The source said his colleague was suspended two weeks ago, but after seeing that the management was not going public with the matter, they felt the public deserved to know, hence they leaked the information.
The source said many current and former students had been approaching them about the matter, especially women students who refused to sleep with the lecturer for marks, adding that he was aware that the management had been informed but nothing was done. He said if it wasn’t for the new Vice-Chancellor Nokuthula Sibiya, the lecturer would still be continuing with his dirty work because the previous management under the expelled Vice-Chancellor did not act.
“We are concerned about the future of students and the reputation of our institution which is why we decided that the public must know about this. Civil engineering is an important skill for the country so it is dangerous if there are people out there who hold fake qualifications,” said the source.
The lecturer was said to be charging between R4000 and R5000 per subject or pay by having sex with him if students were women.
One of the former students confirmed to the paper that he paid R4500 to pass his subject and was now working with the same qualification. He said he was referred to the lecturer by a female colleague who had told him she used her “tactics” to pass her subjects.
“I was about to be excluded from the university after failing this module but after approaching him, he asked me to submit my student number and told me he would pass me with flying colours to increase credits. So, I paid R4500, passed and now I’m working,” said the former student.
The university’s spokesperson, Bheki Hlophe could not confirm or deny the matter saying, the university could not talk about the matter as it was a Human Resource issue.
In May, the uMlazi township-based institution suspended Professor Marcus Ramogale, who was the acting chancellor and principal and another senior official Gona Govender but refused to state reasons for their suspensions.
In 2021, the institution also suspended Vice-Chancellor Enoch Malaza and subsequently fired him.
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Daily News