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- Professor Simon Nemutandani has taken Wits University to the CCMA after his contract as head of the School of Oral Health ended.
- He claims the dean of health sciences, Professor Shabir Madhi, promised that his contract would be renewed.
- Nemutandani says because of the promise, he turned down a position at another university.
A top academic has taken his fight with Wits University to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
Professor Simon Nemutandani, the former CEO and head of school at Wits University's School of Oral Health Sciences, is contesting the non-renewal of his contract.
According to Nemutandani, who is also the president of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), he applied for a renewal of the contract in December 2020, which was due to end in August 2021.
He said the health department approved his contract renewal on condition Wits supported it.
He claimed he met with the dean of health sciences, Professor Shabir Madhi, in June 2021.
Nemutandani stated: "He (Madhi) said, 'Simon, you performed very well. The university would be stupid not to support it.' It's on record."
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Nemutandani said Madhi told him he would approve the reappointment when the head of human resources returned from leave.
Nemutandani said that at the same meeting he informed Madhi that he had received a job offer from another university, but said he was encouraged not to accept it and stay at Wits.
After this meeting, he claimed Madhi informed him that some staff members threatened to resign if he was reappointed. They accused Nemutandani of being "tribal".
"I responded … and said my argument is that these things have no basis. The same people that are complaining are the same ones I competed with for the post when I was interviewed. These people are conflicted, and in the four years I was in the position, they never raised these issues."
In July, he sent another letter to Madhi asking about the progress of his contract renewal.
Nemutandani claimed he then received an email from human resources informing him that Madhi was not supposed to promise him the renewal. However, Nemutandani was offered an interview for the job.
He said:
At the interview, which was supposed to be in July but was moved to August, he presented his five-year plan.
He claimed he was later told that the university did not support his reappointment, which is when he approached the CCMA.
"The allegations made by Prof Simon Nemutandani are denied," said Wits university spokesperson Shirona Patel.
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"All head of school contracts endure for a period of five years, after which the position is reviewed in terms of the university's policies and processes in order to determine whether the incumbent should be offered a further five-year renewal."
Historically, the head of the school is part of the university, while the CEO position is a Gauteng Department of Health position. However, the university has since advertised the head of school position separately from that of CEO.
"The decoupling of the positions is in line with the memorandum of agreement concluded and signed between the university and the Gauteng Department of Health, which precludes a CEO from being on the joint staff complement unless otherwise agreed."
Patel said the academic heads of major departments, including the positions of the head of School of Oral Health Sciences and the head of School of Clinical Medicine are now fully funded university posts.
"The university has structures and policies in place to regulate and govern appointment processes," she said.
"Appointments are made by committees with representation from multiple constituencies (both internal and external) and not by individuals.
Patel said the university would present its case to the CCMA.
