A Root Cause of Campus Chaos: Deputy Minister Points to Rotten Tender Processes

In a striking acknowledgment, Manamela has directly linked the instability at some institutions to a breakdown in governance, where lucrative contracts are not awarded on merit, but through backdoor deals and cronyism.

When Stewardship is Replaced by Self-Interest

Manamela’s argument reframes the narrative of student unrest. While the immediate demands may be about registration, fees, or accommodation, the underlying frustration is often with a system students perceive as fundamentally corrupt and unjust.

When a university awards a multi-million rand catering or accommodation contract to a connected company instead of the most qualified bidder, it has tangible consequences. It can lead to substandard food in dining halls, unmaintained residences, and a general sense that the institution’s leaders are not stewards of public funds, but participants in a patronage network.

The Erosion of Trust and Resources

This corruption creates a vicious cycle. Money that should be spent on improving educational resourceslike libraries, labs, and lecture hallsis siphoned off through inflated contracts. This directly impacts the quality of education, validating student grievances about a “broken system.”

Furthermore, it erodes any moral authority the university administration might have. How can they demand integrity from students when the institution itself is seen as operating without it? This loss of trust makes any negotiation or conflict resolution nearly impossible.

A Call for Accountability, Not Just Austerity

Manamela’s comments suggest that resolving campus crises requires more than just managing student anger. It demands a surgical approach to institutional governance. It calls for transparent tender committees, consequence management for officials who break the rules, and a commitment to awarding contracts based on value and quality, not connections.

By naming corruption as a root cause, the Deputy Minister has shifted the burden onto university councils and management to clean house. For students who have long shouted about systemic rot, it is a significant, if long overdue, admission from the highest levels of government. The path to a stable academic year may well begin not in the lecture hall, but in the procurement office.