Tensions flare as university questioned over hiring more foreign nationals than coloured South Africans

Patriotic Alliance Member of Parliament Ashley Sauls grilled the leadership of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) during a parliamentary briefing before the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, questioning the university’s employment practices, especially concerning foreign nationals and the marginalisation of coloured South Africans.

Central to the exchange was Chief Financial Officer  (CFO) Enimos Manyawi, who was asked to clarify his citizenship and national allegiance. 

“Chair, I do not renounce my Zimbabwean citizenship. I'm proud of my dual citizenship of both Zimbabwe and South Africa. I still hold my Zimbabwean ID. I did not renounce it. Zimbabwe also allows me to be a naturalised South African, and I've naturalised as a South African.”

Pressed by Sauls to affirm his national identity, Manyawi explained: “I consider myself to be South African. I travel in South African passport. I'm naturalised as a South African child.All my adult life, my working life, was spent in South Africa. My children were born in South Africa.”

Sauls challenged this position, saying: “What you should say, CFO, is that I am Zimbabwean, because it sounds like you are denying that you're Zimbabwean. You must be proud to say, ‘I am Zimbabwean and I'm a naturalised citizen of South Africa.’ As such, I'm Zimbabwean and hold dual citizenship in South Africa and Zimbabwe, but I am Zimbabwean. The Zimbabweans are watching you, and are you now saying you are no longer Zimbabwean? You must be proud, you must say, I'm Zimbabwean.”

When asked whether it was correct for the Zimbabwean government to prioritise jobs for citizens born in Zimbabwe, Manyawi said:

“Yes, it's correct for the Zimbabwean government to prioritise jobs for Zimbabweans, it's correct.”

The exchange then moved to job prioritisation in South Africa. Sauls asked:

“How do you view South African citizens that are saying that jobs that they voted for is occupied by foreign nationals or permanent residents? How do you feel about that? Honourable member, I take it that the context is now different, it has moved from my situation to that of foreign nationals and permanent residents. Am I getting it correctly?”

“You're correct. I do agree with that sentiment. However, the context is, we are a university. When we employ people at a university, we may also, from an internationalisation perspective, consider foreign students, which is something that universities must strive to build. And also the international flavour in terms of the employees that we take on,'' Manyawi said. 

Sauls then directed his questions to Dr Johan van Heerden, Chairperson of the Human Resource Council committee, asking: “Are you happy that out of 1,893, only 111 are white South Africans?”

Van Heerden said: “I'm happy that the statistics accurately reflect the demographics, primarily of the country and that of the region.”

Attention then shifted to Ordette Ramsingh, Senior Director of Human Resources, who confirmed that she's classified as a coloured:

“I'm classified as a coloured South African,'' she said. Sauls highlighted a glaring disparity:

“Now, to the both of you, out of 1,893 total, there are only seven coloured South Africans employed.Foreign nationals, foreign nationals, not permanent residents, foreign nationals, are 10 in total, 10. They are more than coloureds in total at the university. Agreed?”

Ramsingh attempted to justify this by saying: “Our employment equity plan works on the basis of natural attrition. So it's not working on the basis that we basically get rid of people in order to get the representation figures right. It works on the basis of natural attrition, and you will know natural attrition, especially in a South African university sector where our turnover is something like 2.7%.

''You just don't get the opportunity to very robustly and aggressively increase the numbers where they may be lacking. That category of employee [foreign nationals] is based on a contract. They're not permanent employees.”

Sauls, visibly frustrated, responded: “Are you listening to yourself now? Yes, I am listening to myself. You have seven coloured South Africans in total. You have on contract, it's still employment. Somebody's going home with money. You have 10 foreign nationals, more than coloured South Africans born here.

''Foreign nationals, based on the conversation we're having here, there's permanent residents, there's naturalised citizens. Now you have foreign nationals that doesn't have permanent residents. They don't have naturalised citizenship.

''You have more of them employed at the university and less coloured South Africans born here. How do you justify that? Do you understand what I'm saying? Coloured South Africans are being marginalised in this country. There is no justification. I overlook the whole permanent resident thing. I overlook the whole naturalised citizen thing. You cannot explain away.”

Sauls then directly challenged Ramsingh’s reasoning: “You are basically saying more foreign national supplies than colours. Your stat says. I'm saying that. It's impossible. I will show you the statistics any time.

''And I'm going to challenge that officially. There are hundreds of coloured South Africans looking for jobs in this country. And for you to employ more foreign nationals and the law doesn't allow you to do so and you are justifying it and you're from the race group. I'm extremely disappointed.”

hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za

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