local news, first

Limkokwing suspends 11 lecturers

Test by Public Eye on 1/27/12

By Lekhetho Ntsukunyane

MASERU- The Limkokwing University of Creative Technology yesterday put 11 lecturers on indefinite suspension for alleged misconduct —ironically on the day the institution was due to reopen following almost three months of strife-induced closure.

The suspended staff include seven of the eight-member executive of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Academic Staff Union that spearheaded the indefinite strike action which saw lecturers downing tools on November 7 last year, over a number of grievances.

Classes at the college are scheduled to resume on Monday next week, with the deputy registrar, Mr Moroka Hoohlo, yesterday confirming the lecturers suspension, while also allaying fears the action would not plunge the institution into chaos.

Hoohlo said: “It is true management decided to suspend 11 lecturers while investigations over their alleged misconduct are underway.

“Management has already rearranged the school timetable in such a way that when classes resume on Monday, the absence of the 11 lecturers would not affect learners.

“We have not made any arrangements to recruit anybody in their place because remember, the lecturers are only suspended, and not fired. We expect everything to go smoothly when the school reopens next week.”

A letter written to one of the suspended lecturers reads: “Kindly be informed that effective January 26 2012, you are suspended from your duties due to allegations of misconduct needing further investigations, which might be hampered by your continued presence on campus.

“Kindly note that this letter supersedes the statement to the effect that you should report for duty at 0800hrs (on January 26) contained in the letter dated January 24 2012, titled Notice to uplift lockout, as you will now be on immediate suspension.

“Please be informed that your suspension is on full pay, and that during your period of suspension, you will remain an employee of LUCT, and you may be called or asked to come to the premises at any time through the office of the Human Resources.

“You are, thus, kindly requested to handover any university property or item in your possession to your immediate manager or Human Resources Department, and then vacate the university premises. You shall only be allowed to enter the premises or engage in university activities if called or asked through HR as stated above. You shall be informed in due course of any further action that might be taken against you.”

Public Eye understands 87 of the college’s 97 lecturers are members of LUCTASU—and the paper has further established the union’s president, vice-president, public relations officer, general secretary, deputy general secretary and two committee members are among the suspended staff. Only the treasurer has been spared the suspension, the union’s president, Mr Nkaku Kabi, yesterday told Public Eye.

“We were shocked to be issued with letters of suspension when we were summoned to the school yesterday.

“This came as a real surprise because we had just finalised agreements with the management regarding our past grievances and our members were ready to start work today,” Kabi said.

However, Kabi insisted the dispute with management was far from over as the union had lodged a case before the Directorate of Dispute Prevention and Resolution, regarding salaries the lecturers were not paid in December last year, and January this year.

“After we were issued with the suspension letters, which do not even explain our misconduct, we wrote back to the management, requesting clarification of the alleged wrongdoing.

“We are expecting a response from them soon because if not, tomorrow (today) we are seeking an urgent permit from the police to stage a demonstration on Monday next week, protesting our suspension.

“We engaged in a legal strike and we don’t understand how we could be harassed like this,” Kabi said.

 

  • Ghost

    “the absence of the 11 lecturers would not affect learners”,, come on mr hloohlo, be aserious. 

  • Bolulo

    We will support our lecturers & there will be no classes without those 11 lecturers. Those people were not alone when engaged on industrial action, but was a collective straggle by all LUCT lecturers and we will look upon those lecturers were called back to work if not support their fellow colleagues.
    To LUCT managements, I am totally disappointed at you adv. Machedi and ntate Hoohlo.  Na le Basotho ban aha ee kappa le lona lese lele Batswana? What type of leadership you are demonstrating to us as your students and is this what you want as to do when we finish our studies?
    My fellow students let us all support our fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers.

  • Bolulo

    We will support our lecturers & there will be no classes without those 11 lecturers. Those people were not alone when engaged on industrial action, but was a collective straggle by all LUCT lecturers and we will look upon those lecturers were called back to work if not support their fellow colleagues.
    To LUCT managements, I am totally disappointed at you adv. Machedi and ntate Hoohlo.  Na le Basotho ban aha ee kappa le lona lese lele Batswana? What type of leadership you are demonstrating to us as your students and is this what you want as to do when we finish our studies?
    My fellow students let us all support our fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers.

  • Mpholetsie

    From a personal perspective this is deeply unpleasant. After all, you suspend 11 lecturers? Those lecturers back to work it will be ashamed if you will not support your fellow colleagues when expelled from work because one day it will be a dog’s day. From the Limkokwing management’s perspective (this one or any) there is an obvious and gaping actuarial crisis looming in your institution that shows you are all pathetic.
    We have no political voice in representative government haeka le thotse  bo ‘me’ letona la thuto? I’m also fed up that the lies and misinformation put out by the Mr. Macheli over the media & that he is continually goes unchallenged by the public & media.

  • Sebabole

    Limkokwing ya swabisa hleng! Ha ntle ke mantlwaneng moo kapa ke sekolong? Maobane on radio Moafrika fm ke utlwele Macheli are ba suspendile only about 7 lecturers, but 2day on this newspaper its 11 what is true?
    Ntho ena yona hase sekolo oka bona le tsamaiso feela ya yona hore ke nthoesele feela. Na bana ba bo rona bana le bokamoso haeka kolo seo hasena bokamoso tje le Modimo ho shebahala eka ha rene kamono. hei! seaparo seo sa bona se setso se ya bua hleng basotho! khueeeee Limkokwing!!! 

  • Bokang

    Wow!

  • Mony

    u tlameha u sa kena sekolo.  ke limkokwing feela e eang strikeng. 

  • Nkoebelenthati

    be aware that if you keep on harrassing lecturers this way,the next thing they may do is to resign when you need them most.watch out LUCT management.

  • twin girl wabo lucas

    its really embarrassing how our lecturers got suspended! de strike was official!but to you our dear lecturers we still need u,we’ll be on ur side till ur back.never let de fear of striking out keep u from playing the game, there’s no failure except in never trying! u tried and dont ever be down,the suspension is nothing.up and never say die,hold on.u are our heroes!

  • twin girl wabo lucas

    its really embarrassing how our lecturers got suspended! de strike was official!but to you our dear lecturers we still need u,we’ll be on ur side till ur back.never let de fear of striking out keep u from playing the game, there’s no failure except in never trying! u tried and dont ever be down,the suspension is nothing.up and never say die,hold on.u are our heroes!

  • David

    Le ne ntse le lebelletse mohlolo…’na nthoena ke ile ka hla ka e hlokomela le pele e buloa Lesotho mona hore ke masela feela. FongKong Varsity, even the way this guys run this university shows that it’s chinese organisation. O ko ithute na lifemeng ho sejetsoa joang then o shebe Limkokwing, ebe you give me a feed back.

  • David

    Le ne ntse le lebelletse mohlolo…’na nthoena ke ile ka hla ka e hlokomela le pele e buloa Lesotho mona hore ke masela feela. FongKong Varsity, even the way this guys run this university shows that it’s chinese organisation. O ko ithute na lifemeng ho sejetsoa joang then o shebe Limkokwing, ebe you give me a feed back.

  • Mochokomori

    Ekare ba ka tsamaea hle.

  • http://twitter.com/MajorLelahla Major Lelahla

    My friend, u opile khomo lenaka. wht mor cn say bru?

  • http://twitter.com/MajorLelahla Major Lelahla

    Wy dd u say dt?

  • http://twitter.com/MajorLelahla Major Lelahla

    Let them cry for what they nid.

  • Lecongreso

    ha ho ‘nete e fetang ena moholoane nthoena ea ho qeka thuto ena eo re sa tsebeng le hr na re tlo sebetsa kae e ntena le ho feta khopo tsa khoho hoba le the so-called SMMEs funds are allocated for LCD youth members. Mi support bru 

  • Thau888

    Well said everyone…. Do not be duped yet again by chinese p0andering their cheap plastic goods… whioch never last more than a week

  • Thau888

    Well said everyone…. Do not be duped yet again by chinese p0andering their cheap plastic goods… whioch never last more than a week