ANT KATZ

Wits’ legal department has, in fact, investigated three separate complaints against Dlamini this year. His removal related to his being found guilty of misconduct by a disciplinary panel in February for assaulting someone in his residence last year. He was given a sentence of one year suspended exclusion in respect of each charge against him.

The announcement was made after a lengthy meeting between Wits Vice-Chancellor Adam Habib (PICTURED RIGHT) and the SRC extended well into Monday night.

Habib said on Tuesday that Dlamini had been asked to stand down – in terms of the February charge – and not the March or April misconduct investigations which are still to be heard. Although Habib himself would not admit to the charge being due a physically violent incident, he did say that it had been: “a very, very serious offence”.

In terms of the SRC’s constitution, a member ceases to be a member if s/he is found guilty of misconduct by a student disciplinary committee but Dlamini exercised his right to appeal his removal. Habib had agreed to defer the judgement, pending the appeal, provided the review happened within 14 days.

“Unfortunately, this did not happen,” said Habib on Monday. He then met Dlamini on April 22, “and informed him that it was not in the best interests of the university for him to continue to hold office while having a disciplinary finding against him”.

SEE LINKS TO SO MUCH MORE BELOW STORY

However, the ever-cautious Habib told Dlamini at that meeting that he would allow him an extension until April 30 to make written representations as to why he should allow Dlamini to continue in office. On April 30, Dlamini asked for another extension, blaming the delay on the university’s legal office.

But Habib had had enough. “I believe that this argument is disingenuous,” he said on Monday. He blamed Dlamini for delaying tactics, “https://www.sajr.co.za/images/default-source/People/single/zomlot-doctor—home.jpg” class=”sfImageWrapper”>

LEFT: Project W head “Mighti Jamie” QUESTIONED
 the SRC’s governance which lead the VC to appoint an urgent inquiry in March

Dlamini’s dismissal from the 15-student-member SRC means that a by-election will have to be held. ProjectW, a group of students who controlled the SRC last year and is sympathetic to Jewish community issues and the interests of Israel, was defeated in a highly politicised election for the current SRC by nine seats to six. Were they to win the by-election against the ANC-aligned group, it will give them a closer minority of seven seats to eight and decisions would then lie in the sway of the four Wits-appointed members.

ProjectW also believes that SRC funds were being inappropriately used to create materials in support of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions-SA and Israel Apartheid Week, although Habib said this week that the university has so far found no misuse of SRC funds.

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Related reads on this week’s events

• 06 MAY: WITS HITLER DEBACLE WELL-HANDLED BY HABIB?
• 05 May:Geoff Sifrin–Separating free speech and Dlamini’s love for Hitler
• 05 May:Mary Kluk–After xenophobia, now time for introspection
• 05 May:David Saks:–Why are young blacks embracing anti-Semitism
• 04 May:DA “APPALLED” AT SRC ‘I LOVE HITLER’ POST– DA, student & Jewish orgs up in arms statement
• 28 April:“I LOVE HITLER” SAYS WITS SRC PRESIDENT– Media storm follows statement
• 25 March:PROJECT W DISTANCES ITSELF FROM WITS SRC– Includes links and official complaint 

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Deeper reads on the March affair:

There is no doubt that PALESTINE WEEK CAUGHT JOBURG JEWRY BY SURPRISE! This March article was the most significant read of the week and inspired huge reader interest. BDS’ Desai and Joburg executive mayor Tau cozied up, but what was Wits’ part in all this? Somehow, this slipped through our communal guardians. It did, however, result in VC Habib putting together a heavyweight investigation team, and he is expected to issue their report next week.

The main speaker at the Wits event was Holocaust denier: ISRAEL ‘FABRICATED’ BEHEADING OF FOLEY, HOLOCAUST
Watch him telling this to the BBC. See the Wits poster billing his speech. Little wonder local Jewry have been upset that Dr Husam Zomlot has been the keynote speaker at many events

40% of SRC not happy: PROJECT-W DISTANCES ITSELF FROM WITS SRC The Five-person Project-W faction on SRC also share concern with Habib who immediately institutes inquiry into serious claims, including that SRC funds are being used to support BDS and IAW – as was the case at Rhodes some years back

JR chair rants: FELDMAN’S 0PEN LETTER TO PROF ADAM HABIB An open letter to VC hammered Wits for aligning themselves with the City of Jo’burg and BDS’ “Palestinian Solidarity Week” and allowing Holocaust denier to speak on campus

VC gives as good as he got: PROF HABIB’S RESPONSE TO FELDMAN LETTER – Prof Adam Habib responded with his own Open Letter to Feldman who wondered if Wits had lost its way

SAUJS’ national chair has his say: SAUJS ON WITS’ SUPPORT FOR “SOLIDARITY WEEK” – Natan Pollack expresses SAUJS’ disappointment and raises some very relevant questions

• PDF on SAJR Online: CITY’S COMPREHENSIVE PLANS FOR SOLIDARITY WEEK See all the elaborate arrangements and planning that went into the event
• PDF on SAJR Online: PROJECT-W COMPLAINT ON SRC TO PROF HABIB
  The document submitted to Prof Habib that led the VC to immediately establish an urgent and in-depth enquiry this week. SAJR Online will get the outcome as soon as it is established, but sources have suggested the SRC has been using its funds to support BDS and IAW
  

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