Alert

Vice Chancellor threatens to sue newspaper

May 29, 2002

The new Vice Chancellor of University of South Africa (Unisa) and former Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission Barney Pityana who oversaw the hearings into racism in the media, has accused the Mail and Guardian newspaper of racism and is threatening to take the paper to court for defamation.

The Mail and Guardian newspaper of May 24 reported that extravagant spending has wiped out hard-won financial gains at Unisa.

According to the paper Unisa is spending millions of rands on accommodation for Pityana, in a stately historic mansion in Pretoria, which is to be renovated at the cost of about R2-million. The university had just sold the property at the time Pityana arrived and had to pay R1,7-million to extricate itself from the sale. The paper also reported that refurbishment of Pityana's offices on campus will cost the university another R1,5-million.

The paper made further allegations that the university management and council team also organised a trip to Mauritius where Pityana and council chairperson McCaps Motimele travelled first-class. It also alleges that the university spent more than R200 000 on Pityana's inauguration ceremony early this year.

On Tuesday, May 28, Pityana denied the Mail&Guardian's claims that he was squandering university funds, saying the report was part of a racist campaign to discredit him and other black university leaders.

For further information contact Scotch Tagwireyi Phone: 27 11 403 8403 Cell: 27 82 821 0756