University of Limpopo demands that Letsie withdraw statement that management did not understand the NQF

A standoff between the University of Limpopo (UL) and parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has escalated into a legal battle after media reports that several disgruntled post-students were informed on the eve of graduation that their previous qualifications were not recognised.

The university has served committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie with a cease-and-desist letter after he publicly stated that the university management did not understand the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and thus faced legal action by postgraduate students. 

The conflict escalated in March when the Polokwane high court ordered the university to reconsider its decision in the case of two students who could not obtain their master's degrees. The students had studied at UL for two years but were told that their previous qualifications, obtained from the Durban University of Technology, were not recognised on the eve of graduation.

Last month, Sowetan reported that at least nine post-students have since appealed to the committee for intervention. Many of them claim they were only informed at the final hour that their prior qualifications had been deemed invalid by the university. 

The university has since sent Letsie a letter of demand to compel him to withdraw statements he made during TV and radio interviews aired last month in which he alleged that the management did not understand the NQF and was thus failing to implement it and was targeting certain students.

The university also said that Letsie made allegations that the institution was involved in money laundering by using three law firms to fight cases brought by disgruntled students. 

Speaking to Sowetan, Letsie said the committee was alarmed by the growing number of complaints. He accused the university of fundamentally misunderstanding the NQF and said this failure was forcing the institution into legal disputes with postgraduate students.

He alleged that the institution is failing to understand the NQF, and as a result, it is being forced to defend itself against disgruntled postgraduate students.

Since the media coverage, tensions have escalated, culminating in legal correspondence between the university’s legal representatives and Letsie.

The university has accused the chairperson of damaging its reputation, demanding a public retraction of his statements.

“These summons, which again ventilate the same matters as your statements or comments contained in paragraphs 3 and 5 above, are subject to a different and ongoing legal process,” the university’s lawyers wrote in a formal letter to Letsie.

“Therefore, the statements or comments made by you against our client and its council are unfounded and per se defamatory, thus causing irreparable harm to the university.”

The institution further demanded that Letsie “cease and desist from making any further statements, comments or remarks without presenting evidence”. The varsity further claims that its management was exonerated by independent investigation into some of the matters raised by Letsie. 

But Letsie has stood his ground.

“First, I wish to inform you that I remain of the firm view that it is very concerning that your clients still do not understand that they don’t understand the NQF articulation,” he wrote in response.

“We are on record having put it to your clients that the VC [vice-chancellor] is occupying the post of the VC against the university statute. We are on record having put to your clients that the chair of council is occupying the post irregularly and against the university statute.”

“In simple terms, I will not be apologising for standing for the truth,” he said.

He concluded by urging the university to take the matter to court if necessary.

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