Security 'capture' scandal rocks University of KwaZulu-Natal

“We wanted stable systems and continuity of service. Ungoti was a registered firm, and we trusted its credibility,” Poku said.

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“I had faith in the past director because we had faith in his capabilities.”

But the committee’s findings suggest that their faith may have been misplaced. What Parliament encountered, Letsie said, was not just a weak security structure but a network of compromised relationships that has eroded trust and accountability.

“What we've seen here is capture, plain and simple,” he said.

“A public university’s internal systems cannot be outsourced to individuals facing disciplinary charges, let alone companies with questionable legitimacy.”

The revelations have prompted calls for a forensic investigation into RMS operations and UKZN’s contracting processes, as MPs warned that the institution’s security function may have been turned into a private fiefdom at the expense of staff and student safety.

Committee member from the EFF, Sihle Lonzi, said it was unusual for an institution of UKZN’s stature to be unable to find a qualified candidate for the post of risk management director.

Ungoti Security Company was established in 2015 and its registered physical address is in Merrivale, near Howick.

Several attempts to contact Khumalo and Nkosi, by phone and email were unsuccessful.

Letsie told the Sunday Tribune that they were awaiting responses from the institution to many questions that were not answered in the oversight meeting.