The University of KwaZulu-Natal yesterday announced that retired Judge Alan Magid would head a three-man tribunal to investigate claims of sexual harassment and victimisation involving the university council's top management.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal yesterday announced that retired Judge Alan Magid would head a three-man tribunal to investigate claims of sexual harassment and victimisation involving the university council's top management.

Professor Christina Murray and Thandi Orleyn would be the other two members of the tribunal.

Magid is a retired judge from the KwaZulu-Natal provincial division.

Murray is head of department at the University of Cape Town's public law and director of the law, race and gender research unit.

Orleyn is a practising attorney and former chief executive of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

Last week the university's vice chancellor Professor Malegapuru Makgoba took leave of absence, while council chairman Dr Vincent Maphai stood down following the allegations.

In a media briefing last week the university council's vice chairman Mac Mia said the council had decided to appoint a tribunal to investigate allegations of "sexual harassment, gender discrimination and victimisation" made by Professor Pumela Msweli-Mbanga, the dean and acting deputy vice chancellor of the college of law and management.

The tribunal has also been tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the awarding of a Master of Commerce degree to the university's chief financial officer, Professor Kanthan Pillay, by Msweli-Mbanga.

Mia said the tribunal would investigate whether the awarding of a master's degree to Pillay was irregular and would determine "whether or not there are uniform policies and procedures for the examination and assessment of dissertations and theses at the university". - Sapa