UKZN Distances Itself from Mary de Haas: Not an Employee, Not a Professor Amid Heated Parliamentary Testimony
Durban – The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has set the record straight on its links to violence monitor Mary de Haas, saying she is neither an employee nor a professor at the institution. This comes after her appearance before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, where questions flew about her credentials and role in pushing for big changes in police operations. The statement has sparked fresh debate on expertise in public inquiries, with some calling her claims into question while others defend her long track record in fighting crime and violence.
De Haas, known for her work on human rights and police issues, faced tough grilling from MPs during her testimony. Her words led to the disbandment of a key police unit, but now her academic standing is under the spotlight. UKZN’s move aims to clear up confusion, especially as her evidence stirred up strong feelings in political circles.
De Haas’s Testimony Sparks Credential Questions
On Tuesday, 18 November 2025, Mary de Haas took the stand before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee in Cape Town. The group is probing claims of criminal infiltration in the South African Police Service (SAPS), based on allegations from KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. She spoke about violent crime, police abuse, and corruption, drawing from years of monitoring killings in KwaZulu-Natal.
A big part of her talk focused on the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), a unit set up to handle assassinations linked to politics. De Haas called it out for alleged wrongdoing, including torture and poor handling of cases. She had written to suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, urging him to shut it down – and he did. But MPs like MK Party’s David Skosana pushed back, asking why she would not name her sources. “This is not anthropology or ethics,” said EFF MP Leigh-Ann Mathys, hinting that De Haas’s approach felt more like storytelling than hard facts.
ANC Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli joined in, questioning her lack of formal training in security or policing. De Haas admitted she has no degrees in those fields but stood by her experience as a researcher. She also cleared up the “professor” label, saying others had used it by mistake over time, not her. MK Party MP Sibonelo Nomvalo called parts of her evidence “hearsay and gossip,” saying it made the committee look like it was just chatting without proof.
De Haas did not back down. She told MPs that Mkhwanazi and Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo lacked credibility. She raised doubts about Khumalo’s qualifications for his role, pointing to gaps in leadership that let corruption slip in. Her evidence built on earlier claims, like those from whistleblower Brown Mogotsi, about mafia ties in the police.
UKZN’s Official Statement Clears the Air
The next day, on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, UKZN put out a clear message. “For clarity, Ms de Haas is not an employee of the university and is not a professor at UKZN,” said Corporate Relations Executive Normah Zondo. The university explained that De Haas retired in 2002 from the old University of Natal, where she worked as a senior lecturer and programme director in social anthropology. That was before the 2004 merger with the University of Durban-Westville to create UKZN.
Today, her only tie is as an honorary research fellow in the School of Law. This is a non-paid role with no teaching or staff duties – just a nod to her past work. UKZN stressed that she does independent research on topics like violent crime, sometimes teaming up with groups such as the Navi Pillay Research Group. But the university would not comment on what she said in Parliament, keeping its distance from the hot debate.
This step came after growing questions about her status. Some, like Mkhwanazi, had called her an academic at UKZN in his own evidence, which De Haas said was wrong. Political expert Sandile Swana noted that clear ties matter to avoid misleading people on big issues.
De Haas’s Background: From Activist to Honorary Fellow
Mary de Haas has a long history in South Africa, starting in the 1980s. She lectured in social anthropology at the University of Natal while diving into community work during tough times of violence. She gathered info on attacks in townships, sharing it to raise awareness, especially among white communities, about warlords and killings.
Her efforts earned her an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Rhodes University in Grahamstown. As a human rights activist, she lobbied politicians, businesses, and the media to act on violence. De Haas has always seen herself as a bridge, helping ordinary people get justice when police fail.
She has spoken out on unequal access to fairness, saying politicians get special treatment while everyday citizens face neglect and abuse. In her view, this gap fuels crime. De Haas has also worked on ending human trafficking, sexual exploitation, gender-based violence, and food insecurity.
But critics say her methods, like relying on unnamed sources, raise ethical flags. In Parliament, she defended this by saying she reports tips to authorities for them to check, not to prove everything herself.
Public and Social Media Reactions Heat Up
The UKZN statement lit up social media. Poet and activist Ntsiki Mazwai reacted with a simple isiXhosa word, showing surprise or doubt. Others called De Haas a “fake professor,” with posts like “Another fake professor exposed” gaining traction. One user said, “Haibo, Mary de Haas is not employed by UKZN, she is not a professor nor a lecturer but an honorary research fellow. Bathong.”
Some went further, questioning her whole role. “The UKZN silence about Mary De Haas been a Professor or Doctor while not having a PHD is Loud,” wrote one. Others linked it to bigger probes, like the Madlanga Commission, calling for reviews of her work. But supporters see her as a brave voice against corruption, praising her for exposing flaws in units like the PKTT.
Hashtags such as #AdHocCommittee, #MadlangaCommission, #PKTT, and #Mkhwanazi buzzed with mixed views – from jokes about her “vibes” testimony to calls for accountability.
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