A former senior lecturer, Professor Athol Williams has made startling claims that the institution’s ombudsman offered him hush money to stop “raising concerns about their dealings with state capture companies”.
Williams made the revelations on social media on Tuesday morning;
Read this slowly … the University of Cape Town ombudsman offered me hush money. We have sunk so low in SA. Anyone with a platform willing to raise the alarm?
— Athol Williams (@Athol_Williams) June 1, 2021
While speaking on Cape Talk, Williams said he was offered a bribe on 29 March, a few days after his testimony at the Zondo Commission.
In a statement, the UCT denied any wrongdoing.
“The University of Cape Town (UCT) respects and applauds Mr Athol Williams for his efforts to blow the whistle on fraud and corruption. We recognise that exposing fraud and corruption is a service to the nation. We also appreciate the profound toll such a process can take on the whistle-blower. Furthermore, UCT reiterates that it fully supports the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and all other efforts aimed at understanding and urgently remediating state capture and corruption. As an institution, UCT has previously made a public call against state capture. Regrettably, Mr Williams has again raised and repeated multiple, very serious allegations against UCT in public statements. This is unfortunate and unjust.”
After UCT released their statement, Williams said the institution had not responded to his core issue “of them having dealings with state capture companies. Denying offer of a year’s salary.”
Williams further called on the UCT to make the ombud report public.
UCT Cover Up: The UCT issues are simple (1) Make the ombud report public (2) Explain which state capture co’s UCT has dealings with (3) Explain why the ombud offered me a payment of a year’s salary. Simple.
— Athol Williams (@Athol_Williams) June 1, 2021