Security "capture" scandal rocks UKZN

PARLIAMENT'S Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has revealed shocking governance failures at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where a private security company allegedly 'captured' the university's Risk Management Services. 

A former employee facing disciplinary charges reportedly returned to control campus security operations, raising serious concerns about student safety and financial irregularities.

Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie made the finding during an oversight visit to the university’s Westville campus on October 9, describing what he called a “shocking collapse of governance” within UKZN’s internal security operations.

At the heart of the scandal is Ungoti Security Company, a little-known firm with alleged ties to senior figures inside the university.

According to Letsie, Ungoti’s rise inside UKZN’s security structure was no coincidence.

The committee heard that Bhekithemba Lovemore Khumalo, a former UKZN employee who resigned while facing disciplinary charges, resurfaced at the university as a consultant through Ungoti and later became de facto head of RMS.

“Khumalo resigned amid disciplinary action, but the university brought him back through the same company he now directs,” Letsie said.

“Years later, he still runs RMS despite not being a formal employee. It’s deeply irregular.”

Letsie said Khumalo’s continued presence, coupled with the lack of transparency around Ungoti’s appointment, points to a security division operating “outside of normal governance and accountability structures”.

The irregularities, however, do not end there. The committee also raised the case of Richard Nkosi, the head of RMS at the Howard College campus. Nkosi, previously employed by Ungoti, allegedly does not meet the qualifications required for his role and, like Khumalo, is not on the university’s payroll.

Parliament’s delegation expressed disbelief that a university of UKZN’s stature could entrust campus security, a critical function linked to student and staff safety, to what Letsie described as “an untraceable company with no credible track record in the security sector.”

The allegations were echoed by a current RMS security guard, who spoke to the committee anonymously, describing an environment of fear, fraud and intimidation.

 “Ungoti steals from us, from our salaries, from the uniform budget, and nobody says anything,” the guard claimed.

“RMS operates like a criminal syndicate. A patrol team that made five arrests last year was disbanded soon after.”

UKZN’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Nana Poku, defended the institution’s engagement with Ungoti and told the committee that the decision was made amid difficulties in recruiting skilled personnel across KZN.

 “We wanted stable systems and continuity of service. Ungoti was a registered firm, and we trusted its credibility,” Poku said.

“I had faith in the past director because we had faith in his capabilities.”

But the committee’s findings suggest that their faith may have been misplaced. What Parliament encountered, Letsie said, was not just a weak security structure but a network of compromised relationships that has eroded trust and accountability.

“What we’ve seen here is capture, plain and simple,” he said.

 “A public university’s internal systems cannot be outsourced to individuals facing disciplinary charges, let alone companies with questionable legitimacy.”

The revelations have prompted calls for a forensic investigation into RMS operations and UKZN’s contracting processes, as MPs warned that the institution’s security function may have been turned into a private fiefdom at the expense of staff and student safety.

Committee member from the EFF, Sihle Lonzi, said it was unusual for an institution of UKZN's stature to be unable to find a qualified candidate for the post of risk management director.

Ungoti Security Company was established in 2015 and its registered physical address is in Merrivale, near Howick. 

Several attempts to contact Khumalo and Nkosi, by phone and email were unsuccessful.

Letsie told the Sunday Tribune that they were awaiting responses from the institution to many questions that were not answered in the oversight meeting. 

“What worried us more was that the university claimed that it didn’t know that this specific person was previously in the employ of the university and left under a cloud. The university argued that it could not find a suitable person to fill this position despite advertising the position nationally. The committee expressed its serious concern that a service provider could easily be seconded in the management position despite many other qualified South Africans who could fill this position.

The argument by the University that there was no person who could fill the Director of RMS position is not accepted. This set a bad precedent that should not be allowed at any public higher education institution," said Letsie.

 What should have happened, he said, was that the security contract should have been advertised and bidders invited to submit their proposals in terms of the specifications of the tender.

“Council should have acted in the best interest of good corporate governance by directing management to go out on public tender in terms of seeking for a security service provider, as opposed to amend the terms of contract of Ungoti Security Company. It is the view of the committee that good corporate governance standards were not implemented in respect of this process,” said Letsie.

He said the report of the oversight visit to UKZN will be adopted by the committee and debated in the National Assembly.

“After the debate, the Speaker of the National Assembly will submit the committee recommendations to the Minister of Higher Education and Training to provide a response. The Committee has further demanded full disclosure of the processes that were followed in the appointment  of Ungoti Security Company including the secondment of its director to the position of director RSM at Westville Campus. Once we have them we will make final recommendations and place the report before parliament for debate and decisions,” he said.

Normah Zondo, Executive Director of Corporate Relations confirmed the committee’s oversight visit to the university. 

“During this engagement, a range of issues were discussed—several of which align with concerns subsequently raised in the public domain. University Management provided detailed responses, which are formally recorded in the committee’s official transcripts,” said Zondo.

She said in line with the principles of procedural fairness and the university’s respect for parliamentary processes, UKZN will refrain from making any public statements or engaging with the media until the committee has concluded its deliberations and formally communicated its outcomes.

UKZN has faced recurring scrutiny over governance and procurement in recent years. In 2020, the university was rocked by allegations of irregular tender processes within its supply chain division, while student and staff unions have repeatedly complained about poor oversight in security and maintenance contracts.

The latest revelations by Parliament’s oversight committee suggest that UKZN’s long-running administrative challenges may now have extended into the very system meant to protect its campuses.

In May 2023, three former UKZN staff members and three former student leaders were arrested and charged with fraud involving an R80 million scheme.

The group, which included former SRC presidents, was accused of allegedly scamming landlords for a cut of student accommodation payments.

Five of the accused had their charges withdrawn in October of the same year.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE