News / Local
'Nust caused the death of Prof Lindela Ndlovu'
23 Nov 2015 at 00:14hrs | Views
The family of the late former National University of Science and Technology Vice Chancellor, Professor Lindela Rowland Ndlovu, has accused the institution's leadership of causing his sudden death.
Prof Ndlovu, who was buried yesterday at Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo died on Wednesday, barely a week after he "learnt in the newspapers" that he had been replaced by Prof Samson Sibanda, who is the acting Vice Chancellor.
On Friday, the family chased away the university's council chairperson, Mike Ndubiwa, from the funeral wake at Hillside. Speaking on Prof Ndlovu's last days, Nust council vice chairman and uncle to the late Prof Ndlovu, Alvord Mabena said the former academic died a stressed man. He said there had been a serious onslaught to expunge him from Nust in his last days by some of his colleagues.
Mabena said the university had virtually extinguished Prof Ndlovu's immense contributions to Nust's development over the 10 years that he was vice chancellor. In condolence messages, the university did not refer to Prof Ndlovu as the former vice chancellor and portrayed him as just another former member of staff. "Soon after reading in a newspaper that Lindela had been replaced, what shocked us was the heartbreaking onslaught on him. Very brutal and inhumane, with messages demanding that he be chased away from the house and that the cars he was using at the institution be immediately repossessed," said Mabena.
He said the family wanted a memorable send-off for Prof Ndlovu so they decided to excuse those who were persecuting him, from the burial. Before his death, said Mabena, Prof Ndlovu submitted an application to the Nust council requesting that his contract be extended for a third term. He said the Nust council considered the application and asked him to list his achievements in the last 10 years.
"The executive council went through the list and made individual recommendations. We went through all the councillors' responses and what came out is that the executive committee recommended that there is a very good case of Prof Ndlovu's term to be extended because of the enormous work that he had done for Nust and the outstanding achievements on the international arena," said Mabena.
He said the executive committee recommended that Prof Ndlovu be awarded a third term and forwarded their report to the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Ministry for final approval. He had served Nust since 2001 as the university's senior chemistry lecturer after joining the tertiary institution from the University of Zimbabwe.
In 2005, he was appointed vice-chancellor for Nust and served two terms, up to August this year. Prior to his appointment as the university's vice chancellor, he had served as Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic and Research). Prof Ndlovu is survived by his wife Lindiwe Majele Sibanda and three children - Lindelwe, Lindumuzi and Likwa.
Prof Ndlovu, who was buried yesterday at Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo died on Wednesday, barely a week after he "learnt in the newspapers" that he had been replaced by Prof Samson Sibanda, who is the acting Vice Chancellor.
On Friday, the family chased away the university's council chairperson, Mike Ndubiwa, from the funeral wake at Hillside. Speaking on Prof Ndlovu's last days, Nust council vice chairman and uncle to the late Prof Ndlovu, Alvord Mabena said the former academic died a stressed man. He said there had been a serious onslaught to expunge him from Nust in his last days by some of his colleagues.
Mabena said the university had virtually extinguished Prof Ndlovu's immense contributions to Nust's development over the 10 years that he was vice chancellor. In condolence messages, the university did not refer to Prof Ndlovu as the former vice chancellor and portrayed him as just another former member of staff. "Soon after reading in a newspaper that Lindela had been replaced, what shocked us was the heartbreaking onslaught on him. Very brutal and inhumane, with messages demanding that he be chased away from the house and that the cars he was using at the institution be immediately repossessed," said Mabena.
He said the family wanted a memorable send-off for Prof Ndlovu so they decided to excuse those who were persecuting him, from the burial. Before his death, said Mabena, Prof Ndlovu submitted an application to the Nust council requesting that his contract be extended for a third term. He said the Nust council considered the application and asked him to list his achievements in the last 10 years.
"The executive council went through the list and made individual recommendations. We went through all the councillors' responses and what came out is that the executive committee recommended that there is a very good case of Prof Ndlovu's term to be extended because of the enormous work that he had done for Nust and the outstanding achievements on the international arena," said Mabena.
He said the executive committee recommended that Prof Ndlovu be awarded a third term and forwarded their report to the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Ministry for final approval. He had served Nust since 2001 as the university's senior chemistry lecturer after joining the tertiary institution from the University of Zimbabwe.
In 2005, he was appointed vice-chancellor for Nust and served two terms, up to August this year. Prior to his appointment as the university's vice chancellor, he had served as Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic and Research). Prof Ndlovu is survived by his wife Lindiwe Majele Sibanda and three children - Lindelwe, Lindumuzi and Likwa.
Source - the herald
