The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on Parliament to urgently investigate what it describes as: “deepening corruption and governance collapse” at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in the Eastern Cape.

DA spokesperson on Higher Education, Dr Delmaine Christians, said the party will ask Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training to summon both the university’s Council and the national Department of Higher Education. She said the aim is to find out: “what is being done to address the disturbing allegations emerging from the Jafta Commission of Inquiry and to restore stability and safety across WSU’s campuses.”

The Jafta Commission, led by retired Constitutional Court Judge Chris Jafta, was set up to investigate corruption and violence at the university. It followed the 2022 killing of student activist Sisonke Mbolekwa during protests over campus conditions, an event that exposed deeper governance failures at the institution.

Recent testimony before the Commission has intensified concerns around corruption at the institute, withclaimsthat university officials demanded kickbacks, cars, and land in exchange for contracts to be awarded to service providers.

Dr Christians said if these claims are true, they represent: “clear breaches of the Public Finance Management Act and possible criminal conduct.” She also called for protection of whistle-blowers and for the full Jafta Commission report to be made public once finalised, so Parliament can refer its findings to law enforcement.

The DA’s call comes amid ongoing unrest at the university. Earlier this year, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr Sinethemba Mpambane was shot dead near the Mthatha campus, while repeated violent incidents have raised fresh fears about safety and leadership.

“Walter Sisulu University has long faced unrest, mismanagement, and instability,” Dr Christians said. “The latest claims show just how urgent it is to reform leadership and oversight.”