Question NW179 to the Minister of Higher Education and Training
15 March 2018 - NW179
Mhlongo, Mr P to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training
(1) Whether a certain person (name furnished) declared the relationship with a certain person (name furnished) to the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) as a grant recipient; if not, why not; if so, was there no conflict of interest in awarding the specified person a grant; (2) (a) what are the details of the grants that were awarded to the specified person since the 2014-15 financial year, (b) what amount was awarded in each financial year, (c) how was the specified person selected for the grant, (d) what has the specified person achieved in respect of each grant and (e)(i) who are the other beneficiaries of similar grants and (ii) what amount was awarded to each beneficiary in each financial year?
Reply:
The National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) has provided the following responses to the questions posed.
- The relationship was declared on 30 June 2017. Prior to this period, there were no relevant internal policies, as the Institute had been newly established. However, in awarding the grant, the NIHSS employee did not take part in the decision-making process of awarding the grant.
- (a) The grant awarded was for:
- “The Implementation of the Hidden Voices: Unpublished Work Catalytic Project” in the 2014/15 financial year;
- “Hidden Voices: Left Intellectual Works” in the 2015/16 financial year; and
- “Hidden Voices: Left Intellectual Works, Phase 3” in the 2017/18 financial year.
(b) The amounts were as follows:
- R600 000 in the 2014/15 financial year;
- R891 000 in the 2015/16 financial year; and
- R960 000 in the 2017/18 financial year.
(c) Professor Edward Webster was selected for the grant as follows:
- “The Implementation of the Hidden Voices: Unpublished Work Catalytic Project” awarded under the Ministerial Special Project for the Humanities and Social Sciences on 6 November 2012, which was before the establishment of the NIHSS. The selection was done in terms of the Centre for Education Policy Development processes and procedures.
- “Hidden Voices: Left Intellectual Works” was awarded by the NIHSS on 30 April 2015 in terms of its processes and procedures.
- “Hidden Voices: Left Intellectual Works, Phase 3” was awarded by the NIHSS on 22 August 2017 in terms of its processes and procedures.
(d) To date, the grant recipient has achieved the following:
- Publication of the book “Hidden Voices - A Working Life, Cruel Beyond Belief”, Jacana Press.
- Publication of the book “The Unresolved National Question – Left Through under Apartheid”, Wits Press.
- Facilitated the production and publication of a nook “Solidarity Road”.
(e) Two postgraduate students (Masters Interns) were financially and academically supported through this project. The cost is R180 000, which is R90 000 per student.
A further two postgraduate students (Masters Interns) are currently supported. The cost is R180 000, which is R90 000 per student
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