The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training has raised serious concerns about the University of Limpopo’s continued high spending on legal fees, most of which involve cases against students and staff members.
The committee questioned how excessive legal expenditure over a five-year period was not identified earlier through the university’s internal audit systems. Committee members expressed concern that this points to weaknesses in the institution’s internal financial controls. The committee also questioned the quality of briefings provided to the university’s legal representatives, particularly in cases where the university repeatedly lost in court, resulting in unnecessary legal costs.
The portfolio committee Chairperson, Mr Tebogo Letsie, said these funds could have been directed towards supporting students and academic programmes, rather than draining much-needed institutional resources.
Furthermore, the committee expressed strong concern that the University Council has repeatedly failed to exercise proper oversight over the escalating legal fees incurred during its tenure. The committee noted that this lack of accountability has placed an undue financial burden on the institution and undermined good governance.
The committee is currently conducting oversight visits to assess post-school education and training institutions across Limpopo Province.
Mr Letsie described the situation as unacceptable and said it required urgent intervention. “While we are encouraged by the overall state of readiness and the positive developments in leadership at the University of Limpopo, the level of spending on litigation is deeply concerning. We cannot justify a situation where R60 million is spent on legal matters over a period of five years without internal controls raising red flags,” he said.
Following a walkabout of the university’s facilities, the committee noted with satisfaction that there were no visible major challenges relating to infrastructure or student accommodation. The committee said from a student accommodation perspective, the institution appeared ready for the 2026 academic year.
The Chairperson also welcomed the appointment of Dr Jeffrey Mabelebele as Vice-Chancellor, describing it as a positive and necessary step towards restoring leadership stability, strengthening governance and improving institutional performance.
Lastly, the committee called on the Department of Higher Education and Training to provide an update on the interventions being implemented to address the underlying causes of recurring litigation at the University of Limpopo.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION, MR TEBOGO LETSIE.
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