Former UNISA finance chief claims university is defying CCMA ruling
Former University of South Africa CFO Phumlani Zwane has accused the university of refusing to pay him dismissal award following a protracted legal battle with the institution.
Image: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers
Over and above accusations of unfair suspension and dismissal, a former University of South Africa (UNISA) Vice Principal: Finance and Business CFO, Phumlani Zwane, has accused the institution of refusing to pay him the remainder of his CCMA award granted against the university on April 14, 2025.
According to Zwane, this failure by UNISA to settle has resulted in the writ execution order of some of its assets.
Zwane revealed that the alleged unfair dismissal and suspension were that he had complained to the institution in 2019 about a number of financial issues while VC Professor Mandla Makhanya was in charge.
He said his attempts to raise financial irregularities were rewarded with an unfair suspension, which resulted in his unfair dismissal in 2021.
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Since then, Zwane, who has been fighting his suspension through the courts, said he has not seen joy after UNISA allegedly failed to honour the R985,000 award by the CCMA despite the institution having complied with his unfair suspension settlement of more than R300,000.
His last attempts to get his money in April resulted in a letter addressed to the current VC and UNISA Council Chairperson, DD Mosia, stating: "This is to notify you that following the CCMA awards issued on the 14th of April 2025, I then sent my banking details and request for payments to your attorneys via email on the 24th of April 2025, which have not been responded to date."
Zwane's complaints come amid reports that the institution has been engaged in a series of suspensions involving some of its senior officials who are being sidelined for allegedly sounding the alarm over rampant irregular financial transactions at the institution.
This has resulted in the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, indicating that she will look into the situation at the institution.
"So effectively, Unisa has had three CFOs in the past five years. Two of whom were removed after raising financial irregularities with the council. The other strong evidence is that he also jumped ship as he was being forced to compromise financial controls so comrades could eat," Zwane alleged.
According to Zwane, Unisa's unlawful actions have resulted in him having laid three complaints before the CCMA, which include an unlawful suspension dispute, an unfair dismissal dispute, and an unfair discrimination dispute, which he alleges are meant to frustrate the justice process and enforce his unlawful dismissal.
However, in a statement, Unisa said Zwane only referred two matters to the CCMA, with the university having recently taken his unfair dismissal on review.
"Mr Zwane referred two matters to the CCMA: one concerning an alleged unfair labour practice and another regarding alleged unfair dismissal. The university confirms that the matter relating to the unfair labour practice was resolved with full payment. The unfair dismissal matter has been taken on review by the university," Unisa said.
As a result of the review application, Unisa stated that it will await the process before making a final decision on the matter. It added that it does not owe Zwane anything at this stage.
"In accordance with legal procedure, the filing of a review application suspends the CCMA award. Therefore, there is no delay...The university maintains that there was no unfairness in the process," it said.
siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za
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