Seven years after being struck off the roll, a corruption case involving a Durban couple, their co-accused, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) medical school, is back in court, reports Sunday Tribune.
Appearing in the Regional Court last week were Varsha and her husband Hiteshkumar Bhatt, Preshni Hiramun, Muhammad Haniff, Bhavik Bhatt, Salman Noor Mohamed and Mirriam Cassim.
In 2018, a magistrate withdrew the charges against the Bhatts and Hiramun after the state called for an adjournment. But last week, they were summoned to appear in court, charged with contravening the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Activities Act between February and March 2017.
They allegedly offered up to R50 000 to Ruth Sekati, a senior education IT specialist at UKZN, to manipulate the university’s IT system – to facilitate the admission of individuals into the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme, despite their matric results or points not qualifying them to be admitted to the discipline.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson, said after the matter was withdrawn from the court roll, further investigations were carried out.
“These have now been completed and have resulted in the re-enrolment of the matter. All of the accused are on warning, and the case returns to court on 3 March 2026 for a pre-trial conference,” she said.
The saga is rooted in a wider investigation into admissions irregularities at UKZN’s medical school. In 2021, the university revealed it had spent more than R73m on Operation Clever – a four-year investigation into allegations of “places for sale” at its medical school, as well as other corrupt activities.
This followed a Sunday Tribune investigation in 2016 exposing claims of bribery to secure placement at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine.
In a statement four years ago, UKZN said 31 employees were implicated and had been suspended, with students and external parties also implicated.
The information was revealed after Visham Panday launched a court application under the access to information legislation seeking a copy of the final investigation report and other details relating to the probe.
The investigation – costing R73 560 829 – comprised:
* Security services to preserve and protect evidence pertinent to the investigation;
* Security services to protect the investigator, including accommodation at a safe house.
* Necessary “covert operations”.
* Forensic specialists.
“The KPMG report, commissioned in 2016 by previous vice-chancellor and principal Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, focused on allegations of corruption involving admissions to the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, as well as colleges and university operations.
“The University … uncovered a criminal syndicate working with … employees to admit students to the medical school. The internal investigation was concluded, and the matter handed over to the state criminal prosecuting authorities in 2017, including the Hawks, for further investigation and possible criminal prosecution,” said Normah Zondo, executive director of corporate relations, in the statement issued in 2021.
Last month UKZN came under the spotlight again when the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education discovered “worrying” governance failures where a private security company allegedly “captured” the university’s Risk Management Services.
A former employee who apparently resigned amid facing disciplinary charges, reportedly returned to control campus security operations through Ungoti Security Services, raising concerns about student safety and financial irregularities.
Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie made the finding during an oversight visit to the university’s Westville campus. The outcome of Letsie’s follow-up discussions with UKZN’s management is yet to be revealed.
Sunday Tribune PressReader article – UKZN corruption case resurfaces (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Ex-student to appear in court over alleged UKZN medical school bribe
Minister applauds 4-year UKZN medical school corruption probe
UKZN loses legal action over report into sale of medical school places