Emerging Issues of Bad Governance and Maladministration at Some South African Universities

This paper presents the results of an analysis of Independent Assessor reports on five South African public higher education institutions which had been deemed by the Minister of Higher Education and Training to be in such serious states of bad governance and administration that they warranted being evaluated in order to correct the bad things that were taking place there. Out of these reports, the researcher discerned a number of emergent issues which defined these institutions as being badly governed and administered. Thus, this was an ex-post-facto research, using the empirical documentary analysis research method to better understand the main features of bad governance and maladministration that led to the Minister's actions. Out of this analysis, the researcher identified seven emerging issues which characterised these institutions as being badly governed and administered.