News Coverage
Letter reveals 'climate of hostility' at UKZN
Strong piece restating a letter written by Prof Martin Hall to Prof Hugh Africa, former chair of the Higher Education Quality Committee, dated November 18 2008, about risks to UKZN following from the 'climate of hostility.' http://tux.humsci.ukzn.ac.za/pipermail/change/2009-January/001663.html
Critics reject KwaZulu-Natal academic freedom inquiry Business Day, 17 December 2008
Short well sourced pieced on concern that the Mia committee is being set up to vindicate the Vice-Chancellor. http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A906338
UKZN academic freedom to be probed, The Mercury, 15 December 2008
Reports on the Chair of Council's decision to establish a committee to investigate the issues involved in the controversy over academic freedom at UKZN. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=105&art_id=vn2008121505...
Freedom seminar: Chetty raises his concerns The Witness, 11 December 2008
Report by Sharon Dell on the CCS meeting held at Howard College yesterday. http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=17213
No Moral High Ground at UKZN The Witness, 10 December 2008
Searing critique of Moosa's letter to Professor Makgoba from Treason Trialist and eight year prisoner on Robben Island, Kader Hassim. http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=17103
Varsity staff seek ruling on academic freedom Business Day, 9 December 2008
A report that covers the issuing of the letter to the press, and Professor Makgoba's communique reporting on the Ministerial intervention.
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A901481
UKZN: Legal showdown looms over bid to bar Chetty from seminar The Witness 08 Dec 2008
The Freedom of Expression Institute has intervened to protect Nithaya Chetty's presence at a Centre for Civil Society Seminar scheduled for tomorrow, December 10, after the University threatens to prohibit him from speaking. http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=17086
Clean up your act, UKZN warned Sunday Tribune, 7 December 2008
Article cites an interview with the Minister who is concerned about the damage to the University's reputation. Alas the journalist does not seem aware of this petition site, and cites Makgoba's claim that "a group of 10 or 20 academics are the only ones writing letters to newspapers."
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20081207082...
Abuse of power through silencing dialogue Mail and Guardian, 5 December 2008
An opinion piece from Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela about the need for a "more thoughtful debate and mutually respectful dialogue" on the issues of race and transformation, and the dangers of using rules to silence dialogue in our universities.
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-12-09-abuse-of-power-through-silencing-...
Academic freedom at risk, this time from within Business Day, 5 December 2008
An interesting piece, citing Cohen and Andre du Toit, on the need for a national debate about Academic Freedom.
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/national.aspx?ID=BD4A899213
International academics rally behind KwaZulu professors Business Day, 4 December 2008
A short piece quoting UKZN spokesperson who says that "Action is only taken against those who flagrantly violate university rules and procedures and who often thereafter hide behind an obfuscated notion of academic freedom." http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/national.aspx?ID=BD4A898263
COSATU condemns unfair treatment of UKZN academics Politicsweb, 3 December 2008
A strong and clear statement from Patrick Craven, National Spokesperson for the Congress of South African Trade Unions. http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71654?o...
Professors "deeply concerned" at treatment of academics at UKZN Politicsweb, 3 December 2008
Front page piece restating the Cohen letter
http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?o...
Outspoken UKZN professor quits Mail and Guardian, 3 December 2008
Good overview of the events, cites Farrell and the Cohen letter.
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-12-03-outspoken-ukzn-professor-quits
Return UKZN to accepted standards of governance The Mercury, November 28, 2008 Edition 1
Publishes the entire text of the letter from 35 international scholars calling for the University to commit itself to internationally established standards and procedures for preserving Academic Freedom. http://petitions.ntesu.org.za/ukzn/node/21
Physics professor quits UKZN The Mercury 27 Nov 2008
A short piece, quotes Jane Duncan "I think he was forced into a position where he felt he had to resign. The disciplinary process, with such expensive legal counsel, was set up so that the professors would lose."
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=105&art_id=vn2008112706...
Professor resigns despite calls on UKZN The Witness 27 Nov 2008
Restating Nithaya's letter to Change @ UKZN, notes "Staff union Ntesu (National Tertiary Education Staff Union), which has made a contribution to Chetty’s and Van den Berg’s legal fees, has embarked upon a campaign to change UKZN’s policy allowing outside lawyers to prosecute and adjudicate in internal disciplinary matters."
http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=16644
UKZN Academic set to resign The Mercury, 26 November 2008
An insider source suggests that Nithaya will resign tomorrow; comments on this site and the letter from esteemed international scholars. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=105&art_id=vn2008112605...
UKZN prof won't back down (The Witness, 24 Nov 2008)
Local UKZN physics professor Nithaya Chetty has refused to sign a settlement agreement, which would result in disciplinary action against him being dropped, and is still "considering his options" Read More
UKZN Meeting Thwarted (Mail & Guardian, 17 Nov 2008)
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) scuppered a staff meeting in support of two professors facing disciplinary action for allegedly breaching a senate confidentiality clause and publicly criticising vice-chancellor Malegapuru Makgoba. Read More
UKZN Carpets Critics (Mail & Guardian, 6 Nov 2008)
Two eminent University of KwaZulu-Natal professors are facing a disciplinary tribunal because they criticised vice-chancellor Malegapuru Makgoba in the media. In the latest academic freedom controversy to erupt at the
university, John van den Berg and Nithaya Chetty, deputy heads of maths and physics respectively on the Pietermaritzburg campus, are accused of
breaching a senate confidentiality clause. At issue is a document from the science and agriculture faculties criticising the university's record on academic
freedom. Read More
UKZN's Commitment to Academic Freedom Slated (Sunday Tribune,
10 Nov 2008)
The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXi) has lashed out at the Universityof KwaZulu-Natal, questioning its commitment to academic freedom after disciplinary action against two academics. Read More
UCT Invites Chetty to Give Freedom Lecture (The Witness, 16 Oct 2008)
In what is being viewed by many academics as a supreme irony, Pietermaritzburg academic Nithaya Chetty -facing internal disciplinary
action at the University of KwaZulu-Natal for his outspoken views - has been invited to present next year's prestigious TB Davie Academic Freedom
Lecture at the University of Cape Town. Read More
UKZN Academics Question Senate Probe (Mail& Guardian, 4 April 2008)
A one-man commission appointed to investigate issues around the submission of a document on academic freedom to
the senate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has been questioned by some of the university's academics. Read More
UKZN 'crisis' debate (Daily News, March 6 2008)
A "crisis" over academic freedom and the alleged use of the race card to stifle criticism of university management unleashed a furious debate in the University of KwaZulu-Natal's senate, the highest authority on academic matters. The row was fuelled by an academic freedom document that is allegedly being blocked from being aired by the university's senate chairman and vice chancellor Prof Malegapuru Makgoba. Read More