CSIR, NRF, HSRC 2021/2022 Annual Performance Plan; UNISA enrolment plan & court case

Meeting Date: 07 May 2021

Chairperson: Mr M Mapulane (ANC); Ms N Mkhatshwa (ANC) (Acting)

The Committee met virtually with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, National Research Foundation, Human Sciences Research Council to receive briefings on the Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan (APP). The CSIR, NRF and HSRC reports covered the research work that the organisations have committed to do over the MTSF period. This included details on performance measurements; adjusted targets; the impact of the pandemic on them and planned research on Covid-19; infrastructure investments; financial sustainability; sourcing additional funding to mitigate their reduced budgets.

Members were generally pleased with the organisations and their efforts to mitigate their reduced budgets in order to continue having an impact in the country through research and contribution towards fighting Covid-19. Members probed, amongst others, about the staff components of the institutions; irregular appointment of Mr Modale at HSRC and whether disciplinary processes had been instituted; procurement for expensive international equipment (import/export); Aero Swift joint operation; securing additional financial support; procurement processes with Treasury; establishment of research chairs and centres and Research and Development Information platform; implementation of new structure at CSIR; ADC Aeroswift liquidation; inflated timesheets at CSIR; and the increase of research chairs and centres.

In the second session, the University of South Africa (UNISA) and its National Student Representative Council and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) gave a briefing on the enrolment plan and how UNISA deviated from that plan. It detailed the correspondence between DHET and UNISA and how the Minister arrived at the decision for an enrolment reduction and withholding of R65 million in funds.

UNISA reported on the reasons for non-compliance with the enrolment plan; consequence management; and outcome of the court case lodged by the EFF Student Command and Black Lawyers Association (BLA) Student Chapter against UNISA and the Minister due to the university's decision to cut the 2021 intake by 20 000 to make up for the excessive intake in 2020. UNISA said it would institute consequence management for the non-compliance and take corrective measures on the over-enrolment. It would appoint a dedicated committee that would oversee the enrolments. The institution was not appealing the court judgment, but to circumvent judicial overreach it was appealing order 3.3. This order set a precedent for all universities and was impervious to the expertise of university executives in implementing university policies to attain strategic objectives.

The SRC gave the students’ perspective and the core challenges and flaws in the enrolment plan. These challenges were grouped according to general, funding and admission.

Members were not pleased with the enrolment non-compliance and did not condone it. This affected availability of financial support for the over-enrolled students, which in turn would put a strain on NSFAS. It also created a bad precedent. Members asked about the consequence management; how UNISA planned to prevent over-enrolment occurring again; low throughput at the institution; investing in ICT infrastructure to increase its distance learning footprint; and reasons for appealing Order 3(3.3) of the court judgment.