Jonathan Moyo not frustrating Nust VC appointment

THE National University of Science and Technology (Nust) has refuted claims that the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Professor Jonathan Moyo, was frustrating the appointment of Dr Gatsha Mazithulela as Pro Vice Chancellor at the university.

The Chronicle reported that the Nust director of communication and marketing Mr Felix Moyo yesterday said the process of selecting the university's Pro-Vice Chancellor was being done in accordance with the Nust Act.

"The university wishes to put the record straight and enlighten the writer of the article, the newspaper's editor, the newspaper's readers and the general public. As Nust, we follow the Nust Act to the letter. The University was established by an Act of the Zimbabwe Parliament of 1990. The institution has a council as constituted in terms of Section 10 of the National University of Science and Technology Act 1990.

"Interviews were conducted and the chairman of the council wrote to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development as required by the Nust Act, but did not write to any applicant," said Mr Moyo.

"According to the Nust Act, and, for the purpose of considering appointments to the office of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, the university forms a joint committee of the Council and Senate whose chairperson shall be the chairman of the Nust Council," said Mr Moyo.

"While we accept that our capacities to understand and interpret University Acts are different, we refuse to accept the defeatist conclusion that such shortcomings can be used as excuses for one to mislead self and go down the wrong and dark alley with multitudes of innocent readers," said Mr Moyo.

He said it was mind boggling how security documents ended in the hands of the media.

"What is clear is that they were obtained in a clandestine and unofficial manner therefore, they were obtained illegally," said Mr Moyo.