By Onthatile Kgoadigoadi
Members of UJ’s Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command (EFFSC) marched to Brixton Police Station to lay a charge of fraud against Deputy Vice Chancellor of Finance Jaco van Schoor and Council Chairperson Professor Ray Marcus, on Tuesday.
A small group of EFFSC members from all four UJ campuses marched to the Brixton police station two days after it emerged that the two UJ senior officials allegedly stole R25 million which they invested into their private businesses.
“Right now we are going to open up a case against Roy Marcus and Jaco Van Schoor for money laundering, corruption and fraud,” said Zwelakhe Mahlamvu, EFFSC member at APK.
The group were assisted by Warrant Officer M.Z Malatji, and a case of fraud was then opened against Roy Marcus and Jaco Van Schoor who are currently suspended with pay.
Among the group was former EFFSC APK Chairperson, Tshireletso Fidel who was suspended for exposing corruption last year. Fidel was also accused of vandalising University property. Despite being found innocent in court, Fidel is yet to be allowed back onto the institution’s premises.
“I am still suspended even now for [burning] the Sanlam Auditorium and exposing corruption, which is illegal because we have challenged them in court and we have won,” Fidel said.
Speaking on the allegations against van Schoor and Marcus, Fidel said that corruption within the University’s financial sector is something that they have known about and that it has been happening for quite some time. “There is actually evidence of a rhetorical email that was communicated [to] them (van Schoor and Marcus) and the police know about the corruption in UJ especially [the] APK branch,” Fidel said.
Students were displeased with the fact that the two accused have been suspended with pay. “I condemn this thing of being suspended with pay, it worries me and it is a serious issue because they stole the money and they are still [earning a salary]. That is what we need to challenge,” said a member of the EFFSC.
The EFFSC member and UJ student led an initiative to raise awareness of such corruption among Financial Aid Schemes such as NSFAS, financial sponsors, the Human Rights Commission and other Universities. He hoped the initiative would push these institutions to join forces and eradicate the problem. TOJ
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