Minister to tackle distrust of transformation body

South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training is desperate to root out the distrust that its new transformation oversight committee has triggered, writes Bongani Nkosi for the Mail & Guardian.

Chief Mabizela, chief director of higher education policy in the department, told a discussion forum at the University of Johannesburg that the department was "worried about the contestation” that greeted the committee when it was announced in January. He said the concern, shared by Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, stemmed from the fact that the debate was not so much regarding the committee itself but " about why are we doing this?”.

Nzimande's plan to monitor transformation in South African universities polarised the higher education sector, the Mail & Guardian reported the week the committee was announced. Appointment of the controversial University of KwaZulu-Natal Vice-chancellor Malegapuru Makgoba as chair drew some strong criticism from academics. Now Nzimande's department is out to combat this suspicion.
Full report on the Mail & Guardian site