Court Halts UB's Nlanda Disciplinary Action
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday November 25, 2019 15:20
According to an order delivered by Judge Annah Mathiba on November 22, 2019: “the respondent shall not proceed with any disciplinary action and/ or proceedings against Nlanda in respect of any of the charges contained in the charges letter dated 26 September 2019. There shall be no order made to costs”.
The matter arose following a decision by UB’s Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris to suspend Nlanda in March 2019 over allegations of persistent willful neglect of duties and refusal to take lawful orders.
Amongst several offences that Norris proffered against the Vice Chancellor since 2018 include ignoring an order by the Executive Management that all proposed procurement plans be tabled and approved at EMT meetings before being advertised.
The other count is failing to approve financial statements held by the cash flow, failing to adhere to the set deadline to distribute the said cash flow to members by November 26, 2018 contrary to instructions from the chairperson of the Audit committee of council Verily Molatedi.
The court papers show that on or about November 19, 2018 Nlanda failed or neglected to collate and submit on time some data as asked by the Vice Chancellor, which he had requested by the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology.
The information included approved staff establishment, the cost of the approved staff establishment and the current staffing cost based on staff in post.
In another count, Nlanda is accused of having entered into an agreement with three recognised UB unions that all government directives on adjustments of salaries are binding on the University and should be implemented without variation and that a three percent salary adjustment inclusive of all arrears retrospective to April 1, 2016 should be granted to University to potential litigation and associated high costs.