Let’s all give Siverts chance
By Editorial
The call by senior academic staff at the National University of Lesotho (NUL) to get Sharon Siverts sacked as vice-chancellor must be resisted by all individuals concerned with the future of the university and that of Lesotho at large.
Last week, the deans and the director of the Institute of Extra-Mural Studies and the librarian penned a strongly worded letter to new Education Minister ’Makabelo Mosothoane urging her to relieve Siverts of her duties.
That call must be resisted.
After a careful assessment of the deans’ petition our position as a newspaper is that the academics’ argument lacks merit.
We also think it is driven by self-interest and the need for self-preservation. The larger interests of the nation must be allowed to take precedence over those of individuals.
The deans’ assessment is also not neutral. It is biased and parochial.
The tragedy is that the senior academic members have allowed themselves to sink so low as to reduce what is a serious national crisis to that of personalities.
When they claim they can manage the situation at NUL better without the vice-chancellor we wonder whether they want to propose an anarchic situation where they would be allowed to operate without supervision.
We believe it is here that our learned colleagues have lost it.
The problems at NUL, which we all know, go much deeper than the issue of personalities.
Replacing Siverts with a new person, whether a foreigner or an indigenous Mosotho as has been demanded in other forums, will not be a magic bullet.
We have tried it before and we all know the results.
While Siverts might have her own faults, our position is that we find no wrong in her call to reform the university and make it responsive to the needs of the country.
In fact, we believe as an outsider with vast experience in academia, she is best placed to make an independent assessment of the challenges and propose the way forward.
Yes, she might have her faults, like everyone else.
But we believe her strengths far outweigh her faults.
We also think it’s too soon to change the chief executive so soon after she took the reins. She needs to be given an opportunity and enough time to turn around the university’s fortunes.
We therefore find no fault with her goal to turn NUL into a world-class university, just like Yale and Stanford, that produces world-class graduates.
Of course any restructuring programme will mean loss of jobs as some programmes and lecturers are deemed surplus to requirements.
The basic point that all must grasp is that there is no malice in taking such reform-driven action.
We all know that institutions that refuse to reform risk stagnating into irrelevance.
We certainly do not want NUL to go that route. We expect NUL to start producing world-class graduates in areas that this country desperately needs.
Some programmes must therefore be ditched.
Education Minister Mosothoane must therefore publicly back Siverts and reassure her that her job is not on the line.
In principle we agree with the reform programme at NUL and would want to see it run to its logical conclusion.
But if there are any areas that the government can tweak it is within its prerogative to do so.
We are aware that Siverts was appointed with the blessings of the previous government headed by Pakalitha Mosisili.
Even if she is eventually sacked this will not change our position that the university is crying out for drastic changes in its curriculum and its modus operandi.
It is either the university reforms or it sinks into irrelevance.
NUL academics must therefore rise above the issue of personalities and propose well thought alternatives if they have any.
We are confident that the new government headed by Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has the best interests of Basotho and will make well informed choices regarding our national asset in Roma.
Comment by 3rd Eye on 28 June 2012:
It’s nice talking while watching from outside, neh? If you think Sharon isn’t a blunder then which vc has flopped than her? For the 1st time in Lesotho, students who obtained 1st class and even top 10′s at COSC are packing their luggages to Leloaleng, Fokothi etc cause this excuse of university doesn’t release admissions. Everything about the university is a joke. Just take a few hours tour to this ghost university then you’d probably wish to delete this article you’ve written.
Comment by Maloma tsona on 28 June 2012:
The situation @ Nul needs prayers.1st, Prof Sejanamane worked very hard to transform dat university, he fenced de university, renovated the residence halls, put tv sets, sofas in the lounges, build DTF, build new science building, hired professors etc and then lecturers hated him and called him a dictator. Then came Prof Ogurinade from Nigeria who did nothing for Nul but involved himself in serious corruption until he died. Then came Siverts who the lecturers call a lost sheep as she introduces a retrenchement project.One thing about Siverts that many do not know is that, by the time she was the Vice Chancellor of the university of Botswana, for the 1st time the university and the students got into a joint strike to oust her because of her harsh decisions and inhumane management style, in as far as transforming Botswana university into a world class university…YES, that she achieved, but at the expense of other people’s jobs, cutting down salaries of the lecturers, deleting sum courses in the curriculum,making a stringent budget for administration; and thus making Botswana a living hell at that time.
Lesotho must be ready for the similar situation of Botswana if it wants transformation.
Ke nna Maloma Tsona,
Comment by tman on 28 June 2012:
@third eye
u no u re admission litsoe hau batla hobane semester se chechile kapa hautsebe le hore na semester ke eng? u kene tertiary kae ebe?
Comment by MOANANONG on 28 June 2012:
Well said Editorial…
Comment by mak2002 on 28 June 2012:
this editorial said it better…..
if this transformation does not proceed at NUL, we risk having an irrelevant institution at our cost.
i am with you SHARON SIVERTS!!!!!! PROCEED.
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 28 June 2012:
It is well known that Basotho always resist changes. The same thing applies when coming to the regime change. We all know what BNP leaders and their followers had done to our country during regime change since 1993 upto 1998 when they decided to loot and burn our country and fragile economy. There’s nothing wrong with Siverts but the Basotho employees both academics & non-academics at NUL are just trying to convince the people of Lesotho how incompetent Siverts is, and how she is incapable to manage that institution. NUL is now offering outdated courses and its heading to irrelevance as compared to other world class or best performing universities here in Africa and the world. NUL cannot successfully compete with other universities here in Africa in the first place.
So, these lecturers want Siverts to be fired so that they can continue with their businesses operating here in Maseru and Bloemfontein as they have focused on their selfish interests. They are not committed to their work at all, they come to lecturer halls drunk and academically unprepared. I appeal to government to give Siverts a chance and opportunity to transform this wrecked university and put it to the position of world class institutions such as Harvard or Stanford universities. NUL lecturers just want to continue with their corruption and they want to control themselves the way they did before. They don’t want to be supervised and managed by anyone because they hate each and everyone appointed by govt to be a Vice Chancellor in that school. They hate VC to be a foreigner and also hate to see an indigenous mosotho to be a VC. So we are sick and tired of these corrupt monsters of Lutaru!!!
Comment by Kokota on 28 June 2012:
Give her a chance to do more damage than she has already done?
Everybody agrees the University needs to be transformed but for the better not the destruction that Siverts is doing. Give her a chance and you will regret.
Comment by Small on 28 June 2012:
NUL is gone…le tla mpotsa ke tla le jwetsa
Comment by Pompong on 28 June 2012:
@Ntja Mokoena, well said Ntja-mme. NUL lecturers are corrupt. They lack no respect for authority. This includes even Non-academics. Roma is corrupt ladies and gentlemen. They have businesses outside their responsibilities at NUL and how do you expect such people to lecture our children?
Comment by 3rd Eye on 28 June 2012:
@tman. For your information, the 2nd semester of NUL ends on the 15th for this yr. The admissions don’t have anything to do with the prevailing situation of the extended semester. To be admitted doesn’t mean, all of a sudden, you have to go and attend lecturers before the end of the semester current semester, except in the case of PESP, which is also uncertain this yr.
Comment by Lefefooane on 28 June 2012:
That siverts had over a year to do a single thing. She is merely sucking our country for sweet nothing. A whooping R140 000 a month salary and she has not doe a thing. In fact she is such a bugus failure. She must go. It is over a year now that she got here and she has not done a thing. In fact I have a feeling that she is a fake bogus professor. She must go. She has failed. The only time I hear about her is when she is talking about R50 million defecit. For over a year she failed to reduce that R50 million defecit. I even have a feeling that she is using the R50 million defecit as a scape goat. We need change. She is too old. She must leave. Siverts must prove to poor tax payers why she is earning a tax R140 000 a month. nxa. Bogu, old American professor.
Comment by Lefefooane on 28 June 2012:
I am not impressed at all. She has failed. Next. We need change.
Comment by 3rd Eye on 28 June 2012:
The developed countries have always underdeveloped our poor African countries. To hell with Sharon & her America. Do you people even know that this grandmother has closed Lesotho’s research institue (isas)? & then you call that progress! I’d put a blame on her ’cause she does everything there; from finances to transport as if the institute doesn’t have bursars & other relevant professionals.
Comment by Sandile on 28 June 2012:
Only a lutaru member will be accepted by NUL lecturers. Then they will come to work late, leave early for thier private matters at the expense of our children education. This is what they want.
Comment by lizzy on 28 June 2012:
there are stil basotho who qualify for that position,we want her gone….we dont need her anymore,why is she bringing changes in our university.bana ba sechaba batlaya kae hare IEMS ekoaloe,
Comment by fufu on 28 June 2012:
I love you siverts! You transform it so well! Basotho are never satisfied! They also want your position! Poor them! Go on siverts, those against can go hang
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
This Editorial and everybody who backs it, seem to be political thinkers!!! Why the heck don’t you go to NUL and find out exactly what SIVERTS IS DOING and HAS DONE. Don’t talk about theoretical issues that concern transformation. Talk FACTS.
I hate people who judge without finding the facts on the ground. For the record. NUL community wants restructuring and not what mmao Siverts is doing……
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
SIVERTS KNOWS THAT SHE IS NOT CAPABLE!!!!
Lesotho times, go visit this old lady and ask her challenging but relevant question and judge for yourselves. JUST do it and you’ll see. Have you watch 3rd Degree on e-TV in RSA? That’s brave journalism. So do it and stop assuming things.
Dear SHARON SIVERTS: PLEASE leave our country. Lots of people hate you. You are a shame to America. Go home grandma! please! We know you need that money. Ask council to give you something and GO.
Comment by sekoelepane sa leribe on 28 June 2012:
well said editorial, pple dont want change, the university is making losses,why we have lectures persuing other personal interest which is not wrong but dat shud not be done at the detriment of students time, after all ey employed on the full-time basis which means the cost more to the universtity yet the teach students like on a part-time basis, imagine a lectures cancelling a class coz a le stuck in traffic maseru, during the day. if a lecture is employed on a full tym basis he shud try as much as he can to be in office for consultion, not galavanting on a full time salary. one thing if a number of courses have a similar subject, lets say three course have a similar subject there is no need to hire three lectures for that subject, one lecture shud do em all, and thats saving cost too, nd will reduce the losses the university is making, imagine three lecturers, full tym salaries, and benefit for only a single common subject. one thing e liehisitseng li admimmision ke taba ea li strike that shud be taken into consideration, it a pity like everywhere esle pple always get caught in the line of fire like students
Comment by Organic on 28 June 2012:
Siverts is too “old”, Siverts is too “american”, Siverts is a “foreigner”, Siverts nyoef nyoef this, Siverts nyoef nyoef that.
Just you shut up and let Siverts go to work you sorry lot. we want changes and therefore some of us rally behind her. VIVA Shiverts, VIVA!
Comment by Seoli on 28 June 2012:
pop-up blocker
No comment, at least until another myth concerning the NUL comes up!
Comment by Khahla-Khahla on 28 June 2012:
Editorial ea Lesotho Times, please ha le ngolle bana mona. Le utloa eka ho na le litaba tseo le li ngotseng moo ka taba ea Prof Siverts le Senior lecturers? Please guys.
Comment by Motaung on 28 June 2012:
Someone wants to create an impression that Siverts came into a perfectly working environment and messed it up. Talk of scapegoating!!
Comment by Sandile on 28 June 2012:
If Mamosothoane will yeild to a UNION demands of lawlessness(how can they say they can run the university better? whats the role of a VC?), she will never know what hit her and will leave a bad legacy for her.
Comment by koena on 28 June 2012:
All she knows is to fry de best fat cakes ever n to bake de most delicious cakes.how dare do u give such important post to smone who knows only how to cook.na ona le anything on management courses? i doubt.she draaged NUL down n it has never bn dis disorganised ever.she doesnt care,n shes also disrespectfull.i disagree with editorial on dis one.let her go….
Comment by Washington Bootz on 28 June 2012:
If prof Siverts gets kicked out,Lesotho education will forever sink low. what we need are program mes that will help move this country forward.program mes of the 21 century. yes some people are scared of their jobs that are at stake due to this restructuring. why should we cry for some program mes to remain yet upon graduating in them there is no where for such degree holders to be absorbed. There is a demand for doctors in this country,NUL can’t respond to that. we have mines but we have to migrate to RSA to study in mining engineering. The B comm students at NUL are not considered accountants until they have registered with LIA.The country sent people to study out for courses that NUL is supposed to be offering. If one thinks work conditions are not good at NUL, why don’t they go and seek greener pastures elsewhere. I reckon its because they know that they will be kicked out before the can even say “I’m sorry for not attending my lecture for the past two weeks without your concern Mr” This is a time for change. Let’s all give Siverts chance.
Comment by TOI-TOI on 28 June 2012:
@ ALL WHO SAY SHARON MUST GO TELL ME THIS MACHINA A SANTSA TSAMAEA AS PROMISED DURING POLOTICAL CAMPAIGNS????
Comment by Tsepang Molapo on 28 June 2012:
I totally agree with the editorial. Lets give Siverts the opportunity to turn back the hands of time and make NUL a place of learning that we can be proud of once again. I say “Hear Hear”if she can turn NUL into a Stanford or Yale all the better. And looking at the standard of writing (both Sesotho and English) that some commentators have used in response to this editorial, and assuming that they went to NUL, it is clear that NUL really needs to work to a higher standard. I say the “fake bogus”professor should stay!!!!!
Comment by Student at NUL on 28 June 2012:
Matichere ana a ferekane. Ba batla nyollelo ea meputso or vc e tebelloe? Bona ba le tjena ha ba isi bana ba bona to this kinda garden e bitsoang “university”.
How long will we smile 2 people hailling NUL graduates incompetent?
Le rona re batla ho kena university eo ereng ha utsoa teng ebe people respect you. Lecture tsena utla u tloa bare tankela ka hore bona bakene bo Yale, Oxford etc. So le rona re batla next time re tanke ka NUL ea rona. DO YOUR WORK Siverts!
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 28 June 2012:
@3rd eye, obtaining a 1st class pass doesn’t mean you are above life or everything on earth. Life has its own challenges to every humans! Even Jesus Christ had some life challenges on earth you know it.
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 28 June 2012:
@3rd eye
U leshano lecturer tooe e bolileng ea NUL. Ha ho na research eo le neng le e etsa mona, tlohang mona lilehe ting. Haeba u koetse that research institute ke hobane e ne e sena thuso le sa etse letho le bitsoang research, le bile le le stubborn le hana ho laoloa. Tlohang mona corrupt monsters!!!
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 28 June 2012:
@Lefefooane, ao! you are back? Welcome back! We think you left for Europe or US to take up the high position at one of Lesotho’s Diplomatic mission abroad. Siverts is there to stay, we need to see change at NUL. Academics are so corrupt in that school, we want her to transform that so-called university as its heading to irrelevance now. Those hating her are just being driven by their selfish interests. Ntate Thabane must not fire that woman, we want her there. Academics in that school don’t want to be supervised at all, they just enjoy controlling themselves!!!
Comment by oa leribe on 28 June 2012:
It’s not true that Basotho are resistant to reforms / change. The fact is this woman has messed up, failed to manage this university for over a year. how much time does she need to show positive indicators of reform?
This editor talks of world class university, brought about by Siverts?
You are not serious.
The minister must suck this grandma soonest. I hate this woman. She is even earning M140 000/month, what a waste?. nxa/
Comment by Mehlolo Ruri on 28 June 2012:
Am really shocked that you are now quick to say you support sharon. Your rational to support her are as vargue and malicious as her restructuring process. We all agree that NUL must be restructured to start with. Now that the paper is pronouncing its self to be in support of Siverts restructuring, have you checked the plan that has been generated? in particular;
1. The rational behind restructuring (financial constraints).
2. Does it tally with the newly suggested structure? especially the new courses that have been suggested, Have you researched on what it takes to run those courses? for your information some of the newly suggested courses in science are offered only in certain universities of SA because of the cost. Do you think the suggested structure will attract qualified staff to run these courses?
3. Please note that we now have the new governemt. the government has pronounced its priorities and these include poverty eradication and eradication of extreme hunger do think what Siverts has drawn as her plan accomodates these?
4. Are you sure that if the country could employ LIPAM which has assisted many government in making strategic plans it will come up with almost the same plan. please visit the elements of drawing strategic plans and make your research before jumping into conclusions.
I am afraid the government should really seriously evaluate who you are and who you are working for. Please ask for the full document and make informed decision.
Comment by tman on 28 June 2012:
@lizy
likolo li gnata kahare ho naha ka mona batla ipona na baea kae? Siverts o ntse a tshoere hantle hl banna!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by tman on 28 June 2012:
@Motho
joale u tlama Siverts kamang ua tseba hore ha capable? Ke bona eka ke oena ea incapable!!!!!!!!
Comment by A Concerned Student on 28 June 2012:
I totally agree with the editor! Yah NUL lectures want everythn in their interest! How wud a skul operate wtout supervision, no way! Bona ba batla e be sale ba entse ha ‘Mannyafeng! Go Sharon Sharon! Ba hana le ho engager on projects ba le tjena!! hoo holo ke ho ruta lintho tsena tsa bona tseo e sale li rutoa since 1990!!
Comment by DAVE on 28 June 2012:
KE VC KE VC YA RONA ENA, REYA MO RATA RONA RE TLOHELLENG, HARE FOSA RETLA BINA, supeeeeee, supepe/
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 28 June 2012:
NUL Academics can go to hell. Go and look for greener pastures elsewhere. Ha!ha!ha! you can’t because you are incompetent and best performing institutions will reject you.
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 28 June 2012:
@Oa Leribe
Your main problem is jealousy, the disease sucked some of Basotho for a very long time. Do you want to earn M140 000/mth ? Work hard and you will. If you have much hatred towards other people, you cannot earn that much because you focused on wasting your time getting jealous for another people. Siverts is there to stay, hot! or cold!
Comment by Dan on 28 June 2012:
I really want to ask every body what works in our beloved country? I mean which instution is working accoring to plan? Are we going foward or backwards? As the nation and as individuals what do we do to improve our country? When people have no regard for authority will never succeed. My view is no vice chasellor will never be acceptable in NUL. I fully supports the editor on this regard.
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
@Ntja Mokoena,
you can go to hell!!! U seem to have issues with NUL staff. I see. Give me your email address and I’ll send you the restructuring document. Read it and see if it makes any sense to you.
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
Lesotho times editorial, go and carefully read the restructuring document. Consult knowledgeable people and see if it make sense.
2nd Where is NUL Council? Kapa hase ntho e teng eo?
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
@ntja Mokoena,
E kare u emong oa bashanyana ba Siverts, oa belaetsa hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!
Comment by Tsehla on 28 June 2012:
Some people just think that Sharon is doing the right thing, and that NUL lecturers are resistant to change. What I know is that, there is no one who can resist change if is positive. We all agree that NUL should restructure, but that process should be done accordingly. It should not compromise with education and focus on improving salaries for herself and close buddies. She should not cut programmes just because she wants to save costs. I learned that Siverts wanted to phase-out Physics. Just because the former dean of Sciece and Technology is in the management, she experienced resistance from that person. Instead Sharon turned to the more weaker departments that are not represented in management and cut them off.
It is not true that NUL lecturers do not want change. They also want that university to be respected in Africa and the whole world, and that is why they are fighting for externalization of examination results. The corrupt lecturers who fail students won’t fight for that, but instead they can take a chance of that loop-hole created by the VC. There is no one at NUL who is against being retrenched, but they fight for the way restructuring is being done. After all, the kind of programmes that Siverts want to introduce are not marketable. The nation wants entrepreneuural programmes not BSC in Climate Change as she proposes. Climate change cannot be a programme, but a course or topic. Furthermore, they also propose programmes like Policing and Administration. It’s a good programme but focusing on a limited market. Without police officers there is no one who can enrol for that programme.
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 28 June 2012:
@Maloma tsona
We are sick and tired of Basotho’s jealousy. These corrupt monster calling themselves NUL lecturers can say many bad things the way they like, Siverts will stay and does her work. They can just go to hell and fall there. Don’t talk about Sejanamane here, NUL academics and non-academics were fighting him during his time at that unreputable school. We don’t want to hear anything from those drunkards lecturers.
Botswana is far ahead of poor NUL after Siverts implemented changes there. The main problem is that NUL lecturers are political minded and they always give foreigners a hostile reception. We know them. They undermine other people’s capabilities because they think that they are the only most intelligent and talented beings on earth. We don’t mind them, they can go to tell!!!
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 28 June 2012:
@Motho
Siverts cannot consult you people (NUL staff) because you are impossible!!!
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
@Ntja Mokoena,
Ka moo u halefileng ka teng ua belaetsa!!!!! Ke hore re ke re u popole ka likomporo re bone …… esere u ruta-ntsi.
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
@Ntja Mokoena….
How do you know that we r impossible when it comes to being consulted. Siverts does not think that, in fact she’s consulted all of NUL staff….
Ache ngoan’a ‘me` ua nqabola ebile KEA U TSHOARELA.
sharp sharp ne???
Comment by Tsehla on 28 June 2012:
It is true that Siverts will bring change to NUL, but a negative one. I think she should not go, but be changed a mandate. She should work at NUL with these people she is intending to retrench for the betterment of the institution and not for her personal interests. She should divert away from cutting costs to generating money and employ more people. The new programmes she is introducing should focus on national needs not on personal interests because someone in management doesn’t like a certain discipline. Here I am referring to the case of Development Studies. There is no where on Earth you can discontinue Development Studies and replace it with Population Studies. Is this the kind of change people are talking about. Is Population Studies more marketable than Development Studies? A study must be made before a change made, the change must also be beneficial to the people concerned, in short must be positive not destructive.
Comment by Thaba Bosiu # 38 on 28 June 2012:
NEWS WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR
I doubt your slogan, you are now favouring Silverts without even hiding, you are putting it explicitly on which side of the story you falling. I thought your mandate was to give us the facts of the story and leave us to decide on them, now it is pure favouritism.
What is going to happen to the much paid for infrastructure ie buildings of EIMS, are they going to be given to Limkokwing or what is going to happen to them? I even wonder on why scrutator is not featured this week, proparly because he was not supporting the editors/editor.
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
‘NETE ke thebe, fela Siverts eena a tsamaee. Le jele lona ba jeleng hle banna!!! Ha a tsamaee.
Comment by motho oa tsona on 28 June 2012:
Bohle ba supportang article ena ba khots’e. This woman has done enough damage and from my personal point of view, she needs to go. There are so many things that we need here at the university but we cannot get them because of the restructuring process. Let’s talk about course outlines, white board markers, lecturers, sanitation, you know, the list is endless! Ebe ntse le re siya vuma. This restructuring is not planned, she just does things after a glass of wine. Nonsense!
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 28 June 2012:
@Tsehla
Thats your problem NUL staff. You are resistant to any change implemented. In many countries including RSA, Climate change and AIDS Pandemic are introduced as programmes in their universities because we are now living in a new era where the nature of earth is changing. You just need to adapt to any changes that may occur on the environment. Who told you Climate Change programme is not important? You must be insane!
Do you think BCom or BSC General are the most important programmes in the world than other new programmes that need to be introduced? Shame on you! Lesotho is one of the countries in Africa that need that programme more than other countries due to our harsh climate situation here. We now have harsh winters and very wild hot-dry summers which is unusual all these years. Siverts is doing her best. Go ahead Siverts with good work and fire those who don’t want to be committed to their work. We know how stubborn some of Basotho are like.
Comment by Lefefooane on 28 June 2012:
@Ntja Mokoena, I will not be heading for embassies my brother. I will stay here and figt corruption, incompitence and nepotism whereever they exist. What I am saying about sharon siverts is that she failed in her capacity as ceo. She failed to turn aroun NUL fortune despite her earning that big salary (140 000 p/m). Instead she kept barking about he R50 million defecit. Defecit, defecit, defecit defecit. That seems to be the only budgetory term the new NUL ceo knows. Ayone who knows a thing that sharon sverts has done in he past 18 months she landed in Maseru I will give her R1000. R1000 for grabs, for any clown that wil tel me what the nul ceo has done i 18 months except shout and bark about the R50 million defecit. I wait.
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
@Ntja Mokoana,
U motho ea sa baleng hohang kea bona. FANA KA MOHLALA OA UNIVERSITY EA RSA OR ELSEWHERE moo ho nang le PROGRAM ea CLIMATE CHANGE e ikemetseng. There is a difference between a course/subject and a program.
Ache ke u khotshe moea weso, se re tla kopana kaha ke ntse ke u popola mona komporong. sharp
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 28 June 2012:
@Thaba Bosiu # 38
The problem of NUL PEOPLE is to hate other institutions in this country because they don’t want to see other BASOTHO furthering their studies as they think they are smart or better than other citizens of Lesotho. They think NUL must be the only school operating in this country and this will not happen. Other citizens of Lesotho have the right to study just like you in this country. We should have other tertiary schools besides NUL in Lesotho. Education is the key to success to all Basotho children not only NUL children!!!
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
@Lefefooane
U nepile.
Lona ba bang re bolelleng he hore na Siverts o entseng haesale a fihla?
Tokomane ea restructuring e teng…. Na le e balile?
@Ntja Mokoena uena mpha hloho ….. he u ka bona motho a feta moo. Bua le eena foramong mona u utloe monate! Ntja Mokoena man!!!!!
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 28 June 2012:
I cannot argue with you any further coz you are impossible. Le ‘na ke ntse ke u kopola konporong mona. Rea tseba le batla ho etsa tsona licourse tseo NUL esaleng e li kenya le pele re tsoaloa. Ba joalo basotho ka lihlooho tse thata!!!
Comment by Lefefooane on 28 June 2012:
I will not shut up until my tax is used effectively. We pay that merican bogus proffesr some R140 000 p/m to do what? O entse hantle mosali moholo eo? She must better go feature on some billboards lie all incompetent leaders. First it was size2 on a big billboard, now it is nul chairman of council Monyamane. Whenever I see a leader on a big billboard I know that he is leading collapsing organization. Monyaman etsang billboteng? At some stage that nul chairman could not differentiate between board chairman and company CMM. He was all over the show. I uge ntate Thabane to dissolve NUL board. Fiore Sivert and deploy comrade Mafa Sejaname. That siverts is too old (67 years!!!) to do run an acdemic institution.
Comment by fufu on 28 June 2012:
Siverts, do your work o tlohele mahlanya!
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
@Ntja Mokoena.
Ha re ntse re popolana komporong mona he….
Araba lipotso. Na u balile restructuring Document ea rona ea NUL?
Nka u tlisetsa haeba ha u na eona.
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
@ FUFU
Na u balile Restructuring Document ea Siverts? If not, thola hobane ha u na mabaka!
Comment by motho on 28 June 2012:
Ke sa ea ‘Melesi nke ke eo phomola.
Mosebetsi oa NUL o mongata, ha rea tloaela ho sebetsana le Baithuti ka khoeli ena.
Likhomo!
Comment by CONCERNED MOSOTHO on 28 June 2012:
for once hareke re batleng nnete moo eleng teng,if you have been to UB otla utlawa na ke bua kang,UB went through the same disaster before eba this good university that it it today.helek!khaohang le sirvets and improve that good for nothing unversity of lesotho. hantle le batlang?to make NUL a play ground?helek!
Comment by Moferefere on 28 June 2012:
Siverts is working hard, yes working very hard to turn that high school into a university.
Comment by mr fang kong on 28 June 2012:
i think we should give her a chance
the reason why she is here for change.
sometimes success takes time and they not neccessary start comfortable
Comment by Nthokasefubeng on 28 June 2012:
Batho bakang Ntja Mokoena le tman ekare halea kena sekolo khele. Na le sekene bashana? Kae? U cn quarrel without substantiating what u r alleging. Vc eno ea lona e phuthuoe e rekisa makoenya Amerika. Haeba ua hana u tseba aentseng sekolong, ha ale manganga a babolli tje.
Comment by Jaja on 28 June 2012:
That Old Lady is doing very good job indeed ! The only problem we have with our lectures is that, adapting to changes is’nt what they are capable of . Ha o koba terata or whatever , moo ho kobehang e ea chesa. ho joalo fela ka nul . Kahoo pholang hanyane esere la re ferekanya le rona .
Comment by tman on 29 June 2012:
@Nthokasefubeng
hobane ke fositse spelling joale ke ts’oana le motho ea sa phetlang hohang? Hao ngoana monna athe u bona litaba joang?
Comment by tman on 29 June 2012:
Fela “Motho” le tla khotsofala haele mang ea okametseng NUL kapa emong le emong utla khotsofala haele eena? kekopa u ntjoetse even one person eo u batlang ebe eena vc.
Comment by Seoli on 29 June 2012:
I always find it surprising when people point to the supposed incompetence of the NUL without pointing to any concrete facts. last week I have pointed to what I described as common myths about NUL. I have already shown that the myth that NUL lecturers don’t research is simply not true. In fact it was last year when professor Siverts herself praised the lecturers for doing so well, and note, “against the odds.” I will later discuss what those “odds” are. In many countries, people in the media do not bring out vague statements when they assess the performance of national universities as is often the case in this country. Instead, the media, as the watchdog, develop a clear, scientific criteria, against which they can do their assessment. Off course some universities, especially those who fair badly, normally complain about the criterion itself. Nevertheless, they tend to live with the fact that a criterion is better that baseless meaningless statements repeatedly made concerning institutes of higher learning. It is, therefore, advisable for the media in this country to try a similar approach. Otherwise, why should we listen to the kettle calling a pot black?
Comment by Seoli on 29 June 2012:
Now, what “odds” were the professor referring to? They are many and we all know them and surprisingly choose to ignore them. I am not going to talk about the supposed incompetence of the NUL lecturers. The truth is, the situation is far more complex and stems from both the fact that NUL nearly depends 100% on the government for its financial survival and, worst of all, the government clearly does not grasp the power it has to influence the positive changes it seems to expect from the NUL. In other countries, governments take higher education seriously. They do not stop at providing the so called subvention. Instead, they encourage and stimulate research by providing funding which academics compete for and the best win. They do not set such funds aimlessly. They ask academics to help them to meet the agenda they have already set, in efforts for meet certain national goals. You would think that someone would be pointing to such a scenarios which are common in other countries, as a way forward. No! Not in this country!. People would rather be complaining about how NUL lecturers do not research while they are clueless concerning what it takes to do a good meaningful research.
Instead of ensuring that higher education is well funded and expensive programmes in engineering and medicine are introduced in the NUL, the government of Lesotho, continues to reduce the NUL subvention, spends millions of Maloti on South African universities, and demands no financial accountability from NUL management despite giving them money every year. To make matters worse, they will import Limkomkwin.
Comment by Seoli on 29 June 2012:
Now, in the absence of any clearly defined criterion upon which to judge NUL, what can give us a clue about the quality of its students?
It is well known that many NUL students do not end at NUL. Instead, they continue their studies all over the world, but more especially, in South Africa. What evidence is there that these universities complain about the quality of NUL students? Taking a clue from the way NUL is described, you would think that the former NUL students would be failing enmasse in the glorious South African Universities such as UCT etc. In fact would think that these universities would have long stopped taking them. Have they?
I have already rejected the often repeated myth (provided as an evidence of NUL graduates’ incompetence) that NUL students are unemployable and I will reject it again. Unemployable by who? The government of Lesotho or the Chinese factories?
Comment by Ernest Takane (Mokoto Mokoto) on 29 June 2012:
If cooked beans were to tell the editorial how it feels like being in a pot, probably the editorial would not understand because of the difference in experience and interest. Editorial would be interested in eating the beans while the beans’ point of view would involve being heated, salted, boiled, marinated and many more, and an attempt to avoid all these if they could. So, here we are talking about two conflicting interests as in the case of NUL given here in the form of an analogy. Siverts is only serving “her master’s interests” and feels impelled to do whatever it takes to complete the task. The interest of the master was to do away with NUL and render it insolvent so it could fall into the hands of private partners, who among others, include the chairman of the University Council, the ex-Minister of Finance and ex-Bursar of the University. This was a plan about NUL in case some people are not well informed. Because of this, people who are far from NUL may regard the reaction from employees and lecturers as an attempt to resist change. No, there is no such. People who do not know should accept they do not know, and not let other innocent souls to take a leap in the dark. When the VC’s position was advertised, it was not because of either poor performance of the University or for its financial problems. It was because the former VC was declared dead, hence the need to fill the vacancy. Whether NUL needs restructuring is not where the problem is. The problem is only when we, the local people, the Basotho, allow petty politics to water our ideals down.
Comment by elephant on 29 June 2012:
As i read this editor`s article or post, i am clear he/she knows not enough about the NUL current crisis, you speak like a commentator,enough research you did not do, before you write its best you research so that you may speak clarity and sense. SHaron has been hired with political mandate and she cant work for the interests of Basotho Nation just like her employers, thats why they are out of power. We have enough and proper documentation to prove this, but you the editor have written without vivid info there4 you speak from your opinion not from the truth of the matter, if it was in business i wld say you are not serious with time which is money,there4 go! NUL is not a laboratory where tests and trials are made to see whether they`ll function for the good of it, the time SHaron has messed NUL is enough!!!! in football once the team does not perform we fire the coach and get the one who is serious about his job. SHARON TSAMAEA TEAM ENA EA RONA E EA JOOA,HONA LE HO E PHAHAMISA U E TETEBETSA!!!!!! CHANGE IS STRANGE,BUT GOOD WHEN POSITIVE RESULTS REFLECT. NO GOOD RESULTS SO FAR, SHARON is a consultant i`ll always say it, not a VC. She has no business with the academics of this institution which is the main business of NUL, wht she knows is restructuring.
Comment by elephant on 29 June 2012:
What chance do we give Sharon? To mess us further? Irrelevant chance! there at your workplace, if u fail to function for the good of that business they `ll fire you.
Comment by motho on 29 June 2012:
@Seoli,
Uena u bua hobane u tseba melemo ea Siverts, Seoli, HAKERE ntate?
Comment by motho on 29 June 2012:
@Seoli,
Feela he u bua litaba tse nkang hantle ngoana ‘me`. Ha re batleng litaba, e seng hore na ‘pattern’ ea NUL ke efe ha ho lebanoe le li-VC.
likhomo
Comment by NEW-PM & COALITIOMN MEMBERS on 29 June 2012:
@ ALL who hates Siverts-u tla tsamaea ha Machina a tsamaea but if the Chines are here to stay no point for the lady to go!!!!!!
@elephant-What chance do we give Sharon? To mess us further? Irrelevant chance!NO!!! RELEVANT CHANCE!!! TO SEE TO IT THAT YOU DO YOUR DUTIES 100%, YOU ARE NOT CORRUPT AND YOU DON’T GO TO CLASSES DRUNK etc SIMPLE!!!YOU HAVE FOOLED US ENOUGH OVER THE PAST YEARS ITS TIME YOU TAKE ORDERS FROM SOMEONE LIKE HER- AND I MEAN TAKE ORDERS FROM THE LADY UNDERSTAND??? WE ARE PAYING TAX IN THIS COUNTRY OF WITCH AMONG OTHERS IT IS SO THAT YOUR SALARIES CAN BE PAID WHEN YOU IN-TURN TEACH OUR KIDS? RIGHT???
Comment by Seoli on 29 June 2012:
“Uena u bua hobane u tseba melemo ea Siverts, Seoli, HAKERE ntate?”
I have deliberately avoided the raging ongoing argument. We can argue until our faces are blue but as long as we are addressing the wrong wrong problem, we will never achieve anything. The problem is neither NUL lecturers nor Siverts. The problem is the narrow-mindedness of the government. I have been in universities where academics are well funded. Academics there have one thing in common. They either don’t know who the current VC is or if they do, they do not care what he or she is doing. They just don’t have time for politics.
Comment by Student on 29 June 2012:
Siverts cannot leave, some of the lecturers Nul ba ngala li students during class. Khale li lecturers li re phelisa ha bohloko atleast le bona there is someone asa ba feng botsitso and that is “Siverts”.
Comment by Tselane on 29 June 2012:
Ebe ba bang ha ba itokolla ba ya kae kapa ba etsisa ba tsebang moo ba eang. Because really no university in Africa can hire li lectura tsee ling NUL mono hle kea hana. Ho bona Siverts
Comment by Ernest Takane (Mokoto Mokoto) on 29 June 2012:
I am sure some people do not give their input in this forum in the good spirit. As I read each comment, there is a lot of “an eye for an eye” element. For some it’s like a joke when Professor Siverts is quoted as already bringing NUL down on its knees. Again it is because they have not been together with her to learn how arrogant she has become. You see we couldn’t be picking things from nothing, at least we have to engage some common sense. She started renovating an already renovated house for over M130,000 even before she moved into her Provesorial house. She instructed that things which had been bought for the other vice chancellor, and were not used be disposed and bought other new things for over M30,000. Why would these demands justify the absence of money? This time she demanded to purchase a brand new car fetching over M500,000. Could we say she is acting within the limits of a stringent budget?
Comment by motho on 29 June 2012:
@Tselane
U bua leshano, li- lecturer tsa NUL li sebetsa universiting tse ngata Afrika boroa. Check websites of: UNISA, WITS, UCT, Walter Sizulu, Rhodes and University of Pretoria u shebe na ha na ho ba fumana mono. Ke hore Basotho ba kileng ba ruta NUL.
Go and check!!!!
He le bua fela tjena bo- ‘Tselane`. Sis!
Comment by motho on 29 June 2012:
Kea E TSOA forum ena baheso hobane e tletse batho ba buang feela tjena ba se nang mabaka. Kea leboteng la MOAFRIKA ho facebook. Bonyane mono batho ba bua betere!
KHANG SALA MONO
Comment by Mokotla on 29 June 2012:
HA kea bala letho la li comments tsena tsa lona baheso but as of Siverts le mo joetse hore ke itse Mosali Moholo ka lipoling haeba lea nkutloa na ke bolelang.He hake mmatle mosali.leha a ka hlaha mona nka mo beta a nyele ese hobane ke mo lakatsa but ke batla a utloe bohloko.Mona ke Lesotho and re fetotse puso hobane ne re tennoe.Joale kaha o re tenne h’a phuthe mehasoana ea hae…askaba siea leha ele kausi
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 29 June 2012:
@Motho
Uena u tla ea ruta neng moo ha u emelane le ho re hloliea ka ba bang tjee? Akere che u keba shera interview le bona? U bua joalokaha eka ntho’e ‘ngoe le e ‘ngoe e rutang NUL e ka fumana mosebetsi RSA varsities. Motho le motho o ikela interview, ha u hiroe ka hore u clever e rutang NUL joale automatically u ka inkeloa fela tjena. Ehlile baa ruta ba bang kea tseba e mong ke mo siile a ntse a ruta Rhodes, fela hase lona bohle ba NUL ba ka hiroang.
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 29 June 2012:
@ Mokotla
Siverts eena o itse o ea u rata u le tjee? Kamoo Basotho ba sa tlalang le ratang kateng hore le bolelise kamoo le hloileng batho, ekare lona batho ba itse ba le rata haholo le maketse lele tjena!!! Eona puso ena eo u bolelisang kamoo u e fetotseng, re e joetsitse hore e sekaba tlosa Siverts hohang mono, o nepahetse, ‘me ba keke ba mo tlosa le khale. O tla tsamaea mohla contract ea hae e felang, eseng ka thato ea lona. Phoooo! ehlile oa bolela banna ba basotho ka kooma tse khuts’oane ke lintja tse tsamaeang li betaka batho hohle mona mataooa a khathetseng ana a senang thuso. Phooo! ka kooma e bokutu e mpe!!!
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 29 June 2012:
@Tselane
Ehlile lilecturer tse ling tse ngata tsa NUL tsona ha ho na moo li ka hiroang ntle le NUL. Ke mang ea ka hirang mataoa a eang classeng a tahiloe kapa a ts’oeroe ke babalase, a bile a sa preparea mosbetsi oa class? Ba bang ba bona ba tla khutlela ‘musong, ba bang ba tla ea ruta bo Fokothi le bo temong mataoa ano a senang thuso!!!
Comment by Moferefere on 29 June 2012:
@Mokotla, how dare you brag about raping a woman? How dare you YOU wretch! Ke ntho tse kang lona tjena tse etsang hore ke hloee ho ba monna.
Comment by Setjoetla on 29 June 2012:
@ Ntja Mokoena
ke hore wena le ha o bua feela ke utloa hore o le DC le senang litaba, o tena o bua puo tse tjena hoba o tseba hore Sharon o tlile mona ka baka la bo ntatao bano ba Dc ho tla felisa NUL.
Comment by loose cannon on 29 June 2012:
Ke lumellana le Editorial ka hore Siverts a fuoe monyetla. Taba eo motho u ka e supang ke hore NUL e na le bothata.
Our country needs an eductional reform as a whole other than looking at Siverts. Way I see it, people are trying to create a mountain out of a molehill. If anyboby wants to see how NUL graduates perform in their line of work, they should try visit Limkokwing (LUCT) where they hold 80% of the Academic stuff. Perhaps that way most people will get a picture of NUL products.
Comment by Senior Lecturer on 30 June 2012:
The Following people should leave their positions, they failed completely: Lebakae: Fokothi, o lietse sekolo motho eno ebile kele DC. Sharon; NUL- she came here to chop her share ebe wa tsamaea. Le eena kele DC. Hlooho; Limkokwing, ha hona ntho eo a e tsebang, u pasisa bana feela ka mono. Mubita;CAS, he motho a emella chelete ea Lesotho ka sehloho a sa holise institution.
Comment by voicetruth on 1 July 2012:
This is pathetic Editorial. As a Newspaper we believe you are much better positioned to research and inform the public at large from an informed point of view. You seem to be blowing the trumpet for your dear Siverts, but you certainly don’t have the facts about whats really happening at NUL.
Please do yourself (or at least your paper) a favour by going to NUL, conduct a balanced research of what is happening and then tell us what exactly is this Siverts lady doing?? I wouldn’t be surprise to learn that some of our Editors who just parrot one sided stories are just singing for their supper – don’t talk from somebody’s pocket research. You are talking as if it’s only those few guys who wrote a letter and yet buy now every body knows that more than 98% of NUL community are sick and tire of this confused old lady. They want her out – its not about 5 or so individuals is about the whole NUL community. Why don’t you check those simple facts???
It’s over a yr since she came. When she arrived she blew her own trumpet from the top of every mountain in Lesotho. Yet up to now if u were conduct a survey involving a balanced sample of the NUL community and informed Gvt officials you will certainly get one simple answer. Which is:
‘Siverts is not at NUL for anything good; but for the destruction of the Institution’.
Majority of us just differ on the ultimate objectives and the real power behind her intentions. But the fact the she means no good for NUL is not in dispute.
We do know for sure that the ultimate powers in the previous Gvt gave her some kind of open cheque to settle political scores with a few members of NUL staff. But we are also not convinced that political scores were the only reason for giving her permit to destroy the Institution the way she has already done.
We continue to wonder, whether all her misdemeanors so far witnessed by the NUL community were purely informed by the local politics (i.e. Lesotho politics) or by a much bigger scheme beyond our borders??
To the Editor let me say: There are many people at NUL, including visiting professors from all over the world, who have nothing to loose about what’s happening at NUL and with nothing against Madam Siverts. Yet if you bother to engage them about the so-called ‘changes’ happening at NUL, majority will tell you that Siverts is the most confused administrator they have met to date.
It is actually a fallacy to argue or think that the NUL community hates ‘change’. We need ‘positive change’ not just any change. In this case some people, like The Editor, are asking the NUL community to fold hands and watch while Siverts takes the institution into a deep donga. No! It’s not fair to ourselves, let alone to future generations.
Comment by voicetruth on 1 July 2012:
@Maloma tsona:
In as much as I agree with a number of points you stated I do have problems with others too.
E.g. Your talked of Siverts transforming UB to world class level.I know ‘world class’ is a very subjective term but we do have ways in which universities are ranked. My questions to you is are:
1). Are you sure in terms of regional and/or international rankings UB is ranked higher than the NUL right now? I would be happy to get some reference sources of your answer if the answer is ‘Yes’.
2) Are you aware the annual budget for UB is around 1 billion rand, while the NUL budget is @ 250 million rand (about a 1/4 of UB budget); and yet NUL has more students than UB? This question is also important if you answer to Q1 about is ‘Yes’. This is because the university rankings largely consider the quality and volume of research output, and quality of teaching as reflected by quality of products.
3). Are you aware that since Siverts came she abolished research budgets? Effectively, lecturers who are publishing now are mostly sponsoring their own research activities; yet as I have already said above research is key to university ranking.
let me just end by saying:
- i’m not aware of UB being better than NUL in any academic aspect.
- UB has a much higher budget catering for a much smaller number of learners compared to NUL which is now catering for around 10 000 learners on a merger budget of 250 million.
-so if we decide to compare please lets be realistic each situation is different from the other.
To my knowledge Siverts is actually using the one-size-fits-all approach and that’s her biggest weakness.
We all know that she did a very costly job at UB, even if it was successful as some people like you claim (I actually done agree with the so-called success story of UB), it remains true that it was very inefficiently (crudely) done.
The reason why it has some semblance of success is because Botswana as a country had a lot of money then and could foot the highly expensive bills, including a very costly management structure, she created. As Basotho we know Lesotho (at least resource-wise) is not Botswana. If you check u will realize that some (if not most) of the things she implemented at UB proved to be unsustainable and they are in the process of doing away with them.
Comment by Nothing-but-the-truth on 2 July 2012:
@voicetruth
Friend, I’m afraid you don’t have facts in your comparison of UB with NUL. The two are not comparable by any yardstick. On almost all fronts/indices UB is way ahead. Contrary to your claim that UB has a much smaller number of learners than NUL with 10,000, sorry you didn’t check facts on this one colleague, UB currently has a student enrolment of 15,710. Check the UB website to confirm this. In terms of facilities and resources, research output (quality and quantity) in high-impact journals as a percentage of the number of staff, student profile, student selectivity and attributes on entry, number of staff with PhD, number of professors, academic culture, PhD students etc., UB is miles ahead of NUL. Even student discipline and academic focus among staff, comparing UB with NUL is like comparing day and night. NUL students are generally wayward and disruptive and lack a sense of graduateness. Lack of attributes of graduateness or doctorateness may not be in evidence among staff because of an unsettled academic environment. Regarding your question whether UB is ahead top of NUL in terms of university ranking, please google to see for yourself. According to 2012 World University Ranking (Top 100 Universities and Colleges in Africa), UB is at position 17 in Africa and NUL does not feature at all in the rankings probably because it is not classifiable or ‘rankable’ in terms of the criteria used.
Instead of being comfortable, pretending that we are fine, we need to be honest and acknowledge that we are in a serious crisis that needs our concerted effort to overcome. I’m afraid even the Botswana International University of Science & Technology (BIUST) that is currently under construction in Palapye will overtake NUL a few years after its launch.
Although I may have sounded critical and dismissive about NUL, I sincerely think it has talented lecturers and gifted students like other universities in all disciplines. It’s just that the academic exposure at NUL doesn’t allow them to optimally unleash their potential. I think NUL has to seriously cultivate a strong academic culture/ethos in order to redeem itself. This deeply-ingrained culture of intolerance, militancy and hostility towards VCs and the democratically established authority in the country is doing the institution and the country a big disservice.
Comment by Lefefooane on 2 July 2012:
It isover 18 monthos that American pensiner got to NUL. What has she done in 18 months to deserve our taxes (R14 000 p/m)? What has Ms (I doubt she is a professor)Sharon Siverts done except bark about a R50 million defecit? O entseng grandmother Sharon Siverts in her 18 months tenure at NUL? I wait for the concrete answer.
Comment by Lefefooane on 2 July 2012:
SIVERTS DISERVES NO FUTHER CHANCE. 18 MONTHIS WAY TOO MUCH A TIME FOR A CEO TO START PRODUCING. SHE MUST GO.
Comment by Moferefere on 2 July 2012:
Blah Blah is what you are doing at the moment. Shiverts is not going anywhere until he exposes some of you for being corrupt. live with that.
Comment by mak2002 on 2 July 2012:
can somebody give me the restracturing document of NUL so that i can better comment on this matter.
send it to mak2002@webmail.co.za
Comment by sebono-moya on 2 July 2012:
hela hojane,batlohela Sheron a tsamaya ka moo a neiloeng kapo ba tla tsoara masepa ka letsoho.
Comment by Seoli on 2 July 2012:
Now that you chose to start debating some semblance of facts, I would like to join in. Nothing-but-the-truth,You sound a bit different from a lot of fellows commenting on this column (starting with the editors). You make some informed arguments.
Let us, therefore,take a closer look at things as they are. I would like to begin with your last words, “Although I may have sounded critical and dismissive about NUL, I sincerely think it has talented lecturers and gifted students like other universities in all disciplines.” One wonders, why are you the only at least willing to admit the obvious?
However, of all your statements, I like this one most, “In terms of facilities and resources, research output (quality and quantity) in high-impact journals as a percentage of the number of staff, student profile, student selectivity and attributes on entry, number of staff with PhD, number of professors, academic culture, PhD students etc., UB is miles ahead of NUL.”
This is true. However, here is a though question. Why is this the case if you “sincerely think it (NUL) has talented lecturers and gifted students like other universities in all disciplines.”?
Would you not agree with me, when I say that most of the attributes you mentioned about UB are a reflection of a well funded university?
Let us talk truth, Mr Nothing-but-the-truth, would you expect a university that has a battalion of 10 000 students,but runs on a budget of M250 000 (which is constantly being reduced) to even come close to UB? Tell me, which university do you know among the top 100 in Africa, which operates on such a meagre budget?
“NUL students are generally wayward and disruptive and lack a sense of graduateness.” I am not sure what this statement means. In the past few years, NUL students were well-known for their use of vulgar language. In those days, students were few (2000) and the quality was known to be higher than it is today (which is obvious, since quality normally drops with increasing quantity if everything else remains constant). That, off course, has died down recently since Dr Mothibe introduced some discipline. However, if we face facts, we will agree that NUL students are notorious mainly because of annual strikes and toyi-toying which rarely happen for no other reason than that manpower routinely refuses to give them their stipends in times, for the reasons best known to manpower.
“Lack of attributes of graduateness or doctorateness may not be in evidence among staff because of an unsettled academic environment.”
I am not sure I understand this one.
Comment by NEW-PM & COALITIOMN MEMBERS on 2 July 2012:
@ Mokotla AOooooooooo!!!u ka kaba itakaletsa ho beta motho!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by mju on 2 July 2012:
Seoli the simple and honest answer to your questions is that NUL has become a breeding ground for political mediocrity. Every jack and jail thinks they know better who should control this country. No wonder why Tom shied away to deploy Prof Moletsane in the MOET. Ke hona re tlang ho luba thankha ha feela re ntse re hira batho ba tsebo li nyenyane. Tlosang lipolitiki libakeng tsa bohlokoa joaloka thutong, bophelong ekasitana le bosebeletsing bohle ba sechaba hle maren’aka.
Comment by Nothing-but-the-truth on 2 July 2012:
@ Seoli
What I tried to say here is that some attributes of ‘graduateness’ and ‘doctorateness’ are lacking in some NUL lecturers themselves. It’s ungrammatical I realized. By graduateness and doctorateness I mean the qualities that make one a graduate or an academic doctor (PhD). That is, are NUL graduates and students comparable to those in other universities in the region, for instance, in terms of content knowledge, communication skills, conduct, social and academic skills, values of respect and humaneness? What attributes do they have that can make us call them graduates? That is: what is it that makes NUL graduates/students distinct or unique? The academic aspect aside, to be brutally frank, for the most part they lack qualities of graduateness. Yes, there are some decent students at NUL, but they are overwhelmed by the bad apples. During the intervarsity games, for instance, they are invariably the most riotous and chaotic. Is this the marker of graduateness in the 21st century? The answer is an emphatic ‘NO’. Seoli, let’s face it my friend, in the past, in the workplaces, in high schools, and in the villages, NUL graduates earned more respect than they do today, partly because of their integrity, the African values, deep connection with their roots and a sense of service to the less privileged. Yes, there were still some bad examples, but not as rampant as it is the case today.
The same qualities go for doctorateness. But this is at a much deeper level, as it involves expertise and leadership in the area of specialization, a strong culture of research and publication, (including publication in journals with a high-impact factor), scholarship, community engagement/service and so forth. Truth be told, NUL lecturers are short on this because of a lack of institutional capacity and adequate resources. Please understand me; they are capable individuals, who are unfortunately hamstrung by lack of resources, especially funds, and a weak research culture. This probably addresses your question regarding why UB is way ahead of NUL. No doubt, it is a well-funded institution because the country has a stronger economy and there is a strong political will to support the institution as a national asset. My sense is that in some aspects, NUL is given too much freedom/autonomy, which is detrimental to itself. The nation/government is still in charge, though they shouldn’t micro-manage it.
Moving forward, I think the government and NUL itself should prioritise research by having a special fund earmarked for this. There shouldn’t be any short cuts on this. If all stakeholders are serious about redeeming NUL and rebranding it as a centre of excellence, big sacrifices have to be made unfortunately. As the then Government of Botswana announced when they built UB after the sorry split of UBLS, “motho le motho kgomo”. We should all put our shoulders to the wheel. No short cuts! Knowledge is expensive unfortunately. But as they say, ignorance is even more expensive.
Comment by oalekapakapa on 2 July 2012:
ha vc engoe e fihla e tlo fumana batho ba managemnt ba ntse ba le teng ka bobolu so a tsamaee le bona vc e tlang e qale ka staff sa eona ho tloha ka dsa
Comment by Tsehla on 2 July 2012:
@Ntja Mokoena, you are narrow minded like Siverts. I am not saying that Climate Change is not important. But you cannot introduce that as a programme. That is is a topic that or a course that can be offered under Geography or environmental management. The same applies to that HIV/AIDS you are talking about. You cannot offer HIV/AIDS as a programme, but it can be a course or a topic. Unless you don’t know what is a programme. You must also take into consideration that fashion comes and goes. Climate change is a fashion now, and will go sooner.
Comment by Seoli on 2 July 2012:
Nothing-but-the-truth, thanks a lot! it is quite refreshing to find someone who thinks like you. Who doesn’t think in black and white (my way or highway). You couldn’t have said it better. NUL problems go deeper Siverts and NUL lecturers as some people tend to think.
Certainly, if that kind of behaviour by NUL students is still there,there is no way I am going to justify it.
Comment by Seoli on 2 July 2012:
Nothing-but-the-truth, thanks a lot! it is quite refreshing to find someone who thinks like you. Who doesn’t think in black and white (my way or highway). You couldn’t have said it better. NUL problems go deeper than Siverts and NUL lecturers as some people tend to think.
Certainly, if that kind of behaviour by NUL students is still there,there is no way I am going to justify it.
Comment by Tsehla on 2 July 2012:
I can see that some people are supporting what Siverts is doing at NUL. They even support her initiative to divert topics into programmes. But she must be advised to make buy teaching facilities. I think there is no lecture room or university that is still using the black-boards or white-boards besides NUL. Universities that take learning and teaching seriously have power-point projectors to facilitate teaching and learning.
Comment by thabo on 2 July 2012:
This new era of coalition government must help us exorcise the demons eclipsing NUL. I’ve stayed disillusioned with this prevalence. The only way out is via collective prayer to help our concerned leaders make graceful decisions. Failing which, we are done- national suicide.
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 2 July 2012:
@Tsehla
You sound so narrow-minded stupid lecturer. You think you are so intelligent whilst you are just a stupid lecturer. That is the reason you resist changes at NUL.
Comment by Ke pana poho e bohla on 2 July 2012:
Le ile la tloaela ho laela haholo lilecturer tsa NUL joalokaha ele khale le victimisa bana ba sekolo mono ha le ba monela, le bile le ba tsekisa le bo abuti’a bona bao e neng ele bahlankana ba lona ba ileng ba le phoqa eaba haba le nyale, joale le nts’etsa makukuno a bitterness baneng ba batho. Ke ka hona le sa batleng ho okameloa tjena. Tlohang mona! Coalition govt e se kaba mamela bohlanya bono ba lona!!!
Comment by Ke pana poho e bohla on 2 July 2012:
@Senior Lecturer
Ha u ntse u supa ba bang hore ba tebeloe tjee, hana uena letaoa la lecturer le eang classeng NUL le tahiloe, u tla re u tebeloe neng uena hobane NUL hase sekolo hase performe hantle hohang? Hana uena u na le tokelo e fetang ea ba bang Lesotho moo ea ho sebetsa hobane fela u le BNP? Ma-BNP le tlameha ho lemoha hore hona joale ke 2012 hase 1970 eane ea lona eo le neng le hlorisa bana ba Basotho le ntse le re ha le ba batle ke macongress ba tebeloe mesebetsing. Re phela in the 21st century ‘me re na le litokelo hona joale, re khona ho itseka lilemong tsena tseo re phelang ho tsona hajoale.
Haeba hothoe batho ba tebeloe mesebetsing, ba tlameha ho tebela uena pele lecturer ea letaoa ea NUL e rutang bana ba batho e tahiloe kapa e ts’oeroe ke babalasi. Tsietsi ea lona lilecturer ting tse sa tsebeng le sekhooa tsa NUL, le tletsoe ke ho tella le hose batle likolo tse ling Lesotho mona hobane le soele, le nahana hore Lesotho mona ho tla sebetsa fela magraduate a hlahang NUL eno ea lona e maketseng eo eleng mahlabisa lihlong naheng ena. Le nyefola sekolo se seng le se seng se tlisoang naheng ena hobane le lakatsa bobe kaha le tella basotho, le khella basotho fats’e, hare tsebe na ka eng ea lona bana ba holetseng mekhorong e mesi.
Comment by Lefefooane on 2 July 2012:
Exactly what was this Siverts appointed to do? Lona ba NUL tell me what was her madate? How far is she in her mandate now that she is 18 months here?
Potso ea ka: O SE A ENTSE E NG NKHONO EO KA ROMA KAMOO? KE KOPA NTHO E LE NGOE FEELA. JUST ONE THING THAT SIVERTS HAS DONE KE TLA LEBOHA.
kE KLOPA BA TSEBANG BA NTHUSE. ONE THING SHE HAS DONE PLS. JUST ONE.
I wait.
Comment by thebehali on 3 July 2012:
editorial eona ena le mathata…keipotsa na ke letsoalloa la lesotho mona haeka haa laka letse university ena katleho tje? Vast academic experience u e hlasosa joang athe, mehlala ke efeng??? U khathatsa matla kannete. Sekolo uena u sekene kae haeka u bonahala le li ethocs tsa lingoli usa lisebelise tje? Win!!!!
Comment by tman on 3 July 2012:
Lefefooane mofe chance joalo kaha re file bro. Tom chance, U kene tertiary kae? I have been a student @ nul i know how lecturers behaves bana ba rata haba iketselitse li benefit tse ngata from the school joale ha li fokotsoa ba lla! Baa Pota ha a lule Siverts!!!! Siverts u e pana e bohla!!!!
Comment by Nothing-but-the-truth on 3 July 2012:
NUL management, please stop embarrassing the nation, please restore and upgrade your website ASAP, and please keep updating it. A website is a port of entry to an institution these days, and a mirror of how seriously that institution takes its business. This day and age, a university without a well-functioning website! Please outsource this function to a company that can do a creditable job. Somebody out there, please approach NUL management urgently about this.
Comment by semenekane on 3 July 2012:
@ Editor Lesotho Times
Article ena ea hau is bias. Hlahisa lehlakore la Siverts le la li Lectures tsa NUL re tsebe ho iketsetsa liqeto tsa rona hore na sempu se nkha ho kae?. Hona hoo u ho etsang ke ho thobisa Siverts hape hase bophatlallatsi bo amohelehang.
Taba ena e kholo haholo e hloka maikutlo a pholileng e seng poqa futsoela ena eo u ntseng e etsa mona.
Comment by koena on 3 July 2012:
Silverts osentse holekane hleng baheso,haakhutlele hae
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 3 July 2012:
@Setjoetla
Uena ha u bua fela u utloahala hantle hore u le BNP le stubborn le tellang haholo feela mosebetsing hobane u nahana hore e ntse ele ha ntatao Leabua eane eo esaleng a le ruta lehloeo le tebileng ho Basotho ba bang Lesotho mona. Mokhoa hau u nahana hore ma-BNP ke oona feela a nang le tokelo ea ho phela le ho sebetsa Lesotho mona ‘me Basotho bao eseng ma-BNP haba na tokelo ea ho phela naheng ena ho ea ka uena. U ne u batla hore ebe Siverts o hiriloe ke Leabua ka BNP hore ebe o na le tokelo ea ho sebetsa NUL? O le etselitse sehloho Leabua ka ho le ruta lehloeo le tebileng joalokaha Verwoerd a ile a ruta maburu lehloeo le tebileng khahlanong le batho ba bats’o.
Khale ma-BNP ting a rutang NUL le hlorisa li-VC tsa Basotho ebile le ba tella le hana le ho nka litaelo hobane le nde le re ke macongress. BNP ha e special hohang Lesotho mona hee re le joetse. Le nahana hore ha le re batho ke ma-DC re tla ts’oha kapa re tla ts’aba? DC ke party ea Basotho hase party ea melata kaha le na le mathata a lehloeo la melata. Khale le tella le bana ba sekolo le ba victimisa ka kolong seno, joale kajeno le le chabetse o tla le suoa Siverts le be le peretle!!!
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 3 July 2012:
@Nothing but the truth
Ao! mataoa ao a NUL ke lintho tsa ho update website na? Ba tle ba ee joaleng neng? Haesitana ba sitoa le ho prepara lintlha tseo ba tlo ruta ka tsona lecture room, ebe joale u nahana hore ba ka ba le taba le website? Haba tsebe molemo oa technology, ba itsebela fela ho loants’a li-VC NUL mono!!!
Comment by Tafita on 3 July 2012:
nothing can go on where mosotho is a leader.ha ke re feng MAKHOOA monyetla oa ho laola this country.All basotho leaders are corrupt.they r slfish.ba ichebile bobona fela.let Sirvets do her job for this country favour.
Comment by Lefefooane on 4 July 2012:
@tman, I gave siverts 18 months. 18 months. What more chance does she deserve beyond the 18 months. I am giving ntate Thabane just 100 days (3 months). If I am giving my Nosotho leader just 3 months then why should I give a bogus old american professor more thane 18 months for her to start delivering. Infact that Siverts has done nothing thus far. Absolutely nothing. She is merely sucking our poor country that hefty R140 000 p/m salary. She even failed on the obvious task of closing down nul. If she failed to close nul, then how could she even succeed to make it a better place. That American pensiner was brought here to close down NUL so that the franchise(Limkonkwine) can succeed. She has failed dismally. Siverts is such a failure and she needs to go. I hate failures and I always campaign hard for failures to leave. Size2 was a failure, then I campaigned hard and now he has left. Siverts is a failure, then I will campaign hard that she leaves and she will leave.
Comment by tman on 4 July 2012:
@ Legfefooa
ebe ngoaneso u bona eka ke ofe motho eatlang ho lekhahlisa boetapeleng ba nul?
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 4 July 2012:
@Lefefooane
Che, u lona lenasi hantle ka lehloeo. Siverts a keke a tsamaea ka baka la lona manasi hleng, hoba haa hiroa ke lona ebile haa pataloe ke lona hohang. Nalaneng ea ROMA, hana ke efe VC eo le kileng la e rata ele mosotho kapa molata? Ha e eo. Esale lehloile li-VC ma-lutaru ting a baikhohomosi. Tsietsi ea lona batho ba keneng NUL kapa batho ba sebetsang NUL, kea hore le nahana hore NUL eo ea lona e tlameha ho ba eona e le ‘ngoe fela Lesotho, ke kahoo le lutseng le potela Likomkwing ka linako tsohle ha le hloloa ke mathata a NUL.
Nako ea lona e felile, o teng Siverts kajeno ‘me o tla le suoa ho fihlela le tloaela mahanapuso ting a NUL. O buile letona la education maobane hore ha ho ‘nete litabeng tsa lona hohang. Batho ba tlohang sekolong seo ke ba ithaopileng ka early retirement esita le ba lilemong tsa retirement. Tlohang mona ha ho letho la lona leo re ka le mamelang hobane le leshano, kaha le tletse lehloeo. Naha ena e keke ea laoloa ke batho ba itlhahelang hohle joaloka bona bana ba NUL hleng, Lesotho le busoa ka molao. Ntate Thabane a sekaba mamela litaba tsa mahanapuso hobane o tla itiha ka litaba tsa banna le basali ba NUL ba tsekang litulo tsa bo VC!!!
Comment by Ntja Mokoena on 4 July 2012:
@Thebehali
O kene sekolo sona seo sa NUL a rutoa ke uena. Joale u mo lebetse hobane u ne u e ea classeng u tahiloe, ke ka hona u sa hopoleng mastudent a hau tjena. Tlohelang ho senya lihlooho tsa lona hobane Siverts a keke a tsamaea ka thato ea lona le khale.
Comment by tman on 4 July 2012:
@Ntja Mokoena
Ha u sa kena sekolo nul u no u babona tlaseng efeng ba tahiloe? Hare buoeng nthotseo re litsebang,uoeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Comment by mochini-boy on 4 July 2012:
Ha hoa nepahala hore batho ba nul ba khahlanong le liphetoho. E reng re le qhatsetse. Ha ma 1st year a qetile ho ngola tjena ho ne ho lokela hore e be PESP ea qala. Ha ho mang ea tsebang hore na PESP e tla qala neng haeba e tla qala. Ke Siverts feela.
Siverts restructuring plan ea o kentse liprogram tse ncha. Mona ha ho na moo li faculty li kentseng letsoho. Siverts o entse plan ee le mang ka hara naha ha a re o arabela litlhoko tsa naha? E be Siverts e se e le professor of everything.
Siverts moralong oa hae o fokotsa staff ka half kapa ho feta feela a eketsa liprogramme. Siverts o fokotsa meputso ea basebetsi ba tla sala. Siverts o re Social sciences and Law li ee IEMS maseru. Li course tse hlokang li lab joalo ka computer lab o tla li etsa joang. Kapa ba tla nne ba ee Roma ka matsatsi a mang?
Na le re taba tsee li tla phethahala academic year ee e tlang?
Siverts o chenchile li contract tsa basebetsi. O lokela ho fa basebetsi litsiane tsa li contract tse felisoang, ba tsamaeang le ba salang. Taba ee o tla e etsa ka tsela e fe? Chelete e teng e tla patala basebetsi hang hang?
Re sa lebeletse. Basebetsi ha ba khahlanong le restructuring empa mokhoa oo e etsoang ka oona.
Comment by Bohloko on 4 July 2012:
Khele,hantle le phela hokae,serious Lesotho Times, lere msad wa lekgowa o sebetsa hantle,4 mang?bcz che 4 NUL she is nt,mayb 4 lona.u guys must b enjoyin da profits of hot headlines while some people are realy suffering.Shaz must go home,ke toti ya mtho.nxa.evryfin abt her is bulshit.rea ipotsa na ebe re tla tswa Roma,virus e Shaz e ntse e chechisa our future.i hate Sharon.
Comment by Anonymous on 9 September 2012:
Let Siverts take what belongs to Siverts!!
And let Basotho take what belongs to Basotho!!
N.U.L does not belong to Siverts!!!
N.U.L belongs to BASOTHO!!!
NXA!!!!!