Summary of events surrounding the murder of UCT Assoc. Prof. Brian Hahn. Pulbished as:

How to get away with murder?

http://www.politicsweb.co.za/opinion/getting-away-with-murder?utm_source=Politicsweb+Daily+Headlines&utm_campaign=f36ad25cbc-DHN_30_June_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a86f25db99-f36ad25cbc-140202025

Far too often, we hear the word “violence” associated with South African universities.  For example, recently relating to the University of Cape Town (UCT), a person writing under the nom de plume Cherry Bomb published a piece in the cyber-journal Fleurmach (posted on July 14, 2015) in which she equates “violence” with the “patriarchal hegemony” and “liberal whiteness” at UCT.   

But, more to the point: recent meetings of UCT’s Council and Senate were violently disrupted and members held hostage by ‘protesters/activists’ shouting hate speech and throwing “water bottles and other objects”; a student bus was destroyed by burning; an examination was invaded by student protesters throwing human waste; and ‘protesters/activists/students?/staff?’ have invaded buildings at UCT, intimidated staff/students, and desecrated/burned works of art. 

These actions have  been roundly and unconditionally “condemned” as “crossing the line” of decency by a broad range of UCT individuals and organizations (e.g., faculties, the Academics Union, Black Academic Caucus, etc.) with one exception, Associate (now full) Professor Xolela Mangcu (Cape Times – Time for UCT leadership to confront its role in activist movements – 17 November 2015).   

Despite his statements that he was “appalled” by these actions and that “violence simply has no place in a university”, a few lines down he tempers his position by saying: “[t]here are always two sides to a story”.  The other side in this instance is Prof. Mangcu’s view that these violent acts are possible consequences of actions by UCT academics and management who cling to a “white prerogative” and are “blinded by their power”.  He predicts that ”[f]ailure to come up with” “a democratic and inclusive dispensation for our universities” to replace the current hegemony “will ensure that the violent extremists have their day”.  

In this piece, I recount the history of a specific act of brutal violence that occurred at UCT, the murder of my academic colleague, Associate Professor Brian Hahn.

Background: Assoc. Prof. Brian Hahn

Brian Hahn was born and raised in Cape Town.  He was educated initially at UCT, culminating in a Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Cambridge.  In 1979, after spending several years as a lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand, he returned to UCT’s Department of Applied Mathematics and, after 20 years service, became the Head of the now Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics.  He was the epitome of an applied mathematician.  He published 16 books, all on various aspects of computer programming and mathematical modelling for biochemists, botanists, zoologists, palaeontologists and engineers.  His 61 published scientific papers covered a broad range of topics from growth and development in dinosaurs to his favoured topic, modelling the impact of management interventions and climatic change on rangeland condition and livestock production on communal rangelands in the semi-arid Succulent Karoo.  He was an excellent teacher of computer programming and mathematical modelling of university students at both the under- and post-graduate levels, as well as involving himself with extension courses for adults.

He was a devout, born again Christian and a family man with three children and a granddaughter.  Friends and colleagues knew him to be a caring and humble man with “a self-effacing exterior", who led by "quiet example, not noisy rhetoric".  In short, he was the epitome of a good man and the kind of academic that UCT should be proud to have in its service.  At his memorial, then UCT Vice Chancellor Njabulo Ndebele paid tribute to Brian saying "UCT has lost a colleague, a teacher and a scientist of outstanding quality and extraordinary calibre”.  His colleague and close friend Prof. Duncan Fraser said:  "The way in which Brian died brings us face to face with the reality of evil and unsettles us, because we equate education with goodness.”

The murder

On 28 January 2005 (soon after completing his five-year stint as head of department), according to the testimony of two witnesses (a senior secretary and the network administrator), in the UCT Mathematics Building, “with never a word spoken” and with “no warning” and “no hand to defend himself”, Brian was, without provocation,  systematically and brutally beaten.  His attacker, Dr Maleafisha Stephen ‘Steve’ Tladi “hit him on the head, hard, several times with an umbrella”.  This caused Brian to “fall to the floor backwards, cracking (literally) his skull.”  Then Steve “put the boot into his face, several times”.  

All this was witnessed close up by DL, a senior secretary, and MR, the network administrator. All in silence and "with a face like stone" (direct quote). DL was unable to pull the large Steve off Prof Hahn, but MR rushed to help and pulled Steve off.

Several days later, Brian died as a consequence of his injuries. 

Before he died, Brian was visited in hospital by his colleague (and supervisor of Tladi’s Ph.D. research) Prof. Daya Reddy.  When asked about the attack, Brian stated that he was attacked without provocation and had no idea what motivated Tladi.

Background: Dr ‘Steve’ Tladi

In 1988, Steve began his undergraduate studies in mathematics at the University of Limpopo at Turfloop , South Africa, but soon transferred to Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts,  USA.  He was awarded a B.A. in Mathematics with highest honours in 1992.  He then moved to Brown University (also in the USA) and was awarded an M.Sc. by coursework in Applied Mathematics and Engineering in 1993/1996.  According to his curriculum vitae, for the next two years he worked a Brown as a teaching/research assistant.  He began a programme of Ph.D. research at Brown, but abandoned it for medical (psychological?) reasons and was repatriated to South Africa.  According to his CV, he is an author of 12 scientific papers/presentations mainly in the theory and application of hydrodynamic stability and heat transfer enhancement nonlinear dynamical systems.   

Like Brian, Steve is a devout Christian.  He is married to lawyer Jane Raesibe Tladi (Director of Legal Services, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Polokwane, Limpopo, South Africa) and they have two children.

In 1999, Steve was recruited to a development position as a Junior Research Fellow by UCT in its Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics to allow him to undertake Ph.D. research and gain experience in teaching.  On January 2001, this appointment was changed to Assistant Lecturer.  This appointment was subsequently extended and, in the end, his relationship with UCT turned into a five year ‘contract’.

By September 2003, in terms of the Labour Act, a final decision had to be made with regards to his possible appointment to a permanent post at UCT.  Brian was requested to draw up a report regarding his progress in teaching and research and to make a recommendation about his future at UCT.  Brian felt that he was not in the position to make a positive recommendation, but proposed that Tladi be given the opportunity to state his case before a committee of peers.  In July 2003, Steve was sent a letter informing him that his contract would expire at the end of that year, and that the Department and Faculty of Science wished to review his performance in order for them to make a recommendation about his possible future at UCT.  To that end a committee meeting was scheduled for 5 September2003.

wolverine_nun

February 2 2007, 16:55:08 UTC 9 years ago

He was always a bit wierd in interpersonal interactions, but then, a lot of people probably are without being dangerous. He was also horribly unreliable as a lecturer or tutor; not pitching up, suddenly cancelling and not finding replacements, doodling on the board while a tutorial class languished without any help, odd stuff like that.

At the scheduled meeting, Steve was again informed of the reason for the meeting.  He was then given the opportunity to state his case regarding his Teaching, Research, Administration, Relationship with Colleagues, Health and his experience at the University in general.  Steve however did not discuss any of these topics and rather went into a rage about different issues and people were acting against him.  He furthermore started to use abusive language towards members of the committee.  He then got up and wanted to leave the meeting without being excused, but Assoc. Prof. Sizwe Mabizela (now Vice Chancellor of Rhodes University) calmed him down.   

After this, the meeting was really never back on track.  At one stage, Steve indicated that he wanted to go back to Brown University to finish his abandoned Ph.D.  The committee, however, thought this to be a backward step since he was due to complete a Ph.D. at UCT.  

At the end of the meeting, Steve was asked if he wished to add anything.  He then became contrite, apologised for his unseemly behaviour earlier and then left the meeting.  The committee then decided that they could not, with a clear conscience employ or continue to employ someone who behaved in a manner exhibited by Steve during the meeting.  Steve was informed in writing of the findings of the committee and that his appointment as Assistant Lecturer would cease at the end of 2003.

In January 2004 Steve handed in his thesis for examination.  It was examined by three overseas experts.  During April 2004, he was informed that he would be awarded the Ph.D. degree on condition that he made a few revisions to the thesis. These were done by September 2004 and he was awarded his degree in December 2004.

Now Dr Tladi further requested that he wanted to stay at UCT until end of January 2005 because there were still a few things that he wanted to finalise.  Prof. Chris Gilmour (who had succeeded Brian as Head of the Department) gave Dr Tladi permission to stay until end of January 2005 and he was given office space till then.

Concurrent with (and after) his association with UCT (i.e. while he was supposed to be in Valkenberg Hospital receiving psychiatric care), Steve is listed in his CV as the executive director of DIEMA (Division of Industrial & Engineering Mathematics), a local closed corporation.  His duties in this capacity involved direction of research and innovation; development and implementation of long-range plans; budgetary planning and controlling rotation; leadership in creating, planning, and implementing new programmes.

Events subsequent to Brian’s murder

Steve was arrested and admitted to attacking Hahn, but was soon released on R500 bail into the custody of his wife Jane, a lawyer.  At the time, the murder was widely condemned by the UCT community and media in general, with one exception. The SRC president at the time, Nqobizitha Mlilo, released the following statement: “We strongly feel that the alleged assailant must be addressed in his proper title as ‘Dr Tladi’ and not merely as an ‘ex-student’ … It is a fact that he is one of the few black people with a PhD in mathematics, and should be accorded the respect he deserves.” In closing, Mlilo speculated whether “this incident is not a reflection of some other deep flaw in the nature of our relations as a community across race, gender, student and staff lines”.  

Somewhat later that year, UCT Associate Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela referred to the incident saying: "What really concerns me is why we are, when we are faced with a violent murder on this campus, not talking about, first of all, what led to this incident, and not talking about why the only reaction that is vocal about this incident is reaction that seems to be condoning this behaviour".  As far as I have been able to determine, there was never any such “talking about”.  Perhaps most disturbingly, recently, Wits Assoc. Prof. Pumla Gqola characterized Brian’s murder as follows: “A few years ago, a PhD candidate (it may have been a postdoc) repeatedly hit a white professor with an umbrella. While the media and UCT officially expressed shock, Black people who had graduated from UCT with a postgraduate degree or (had) worked at UCT expressed shock only that it had taken this long and one incident … [b]ut the choice to read that incident as self-defence is telling.”  

 So, now Brian’s murder by Steve was an act of self-defence.

Court appearances 
In court during December 2005, Advocate Eleanor Mocke, for the prosecution, told the magistrate (Marietjie van Eeden) that the state had in its possession Steve's clinical medical records from psychiatrist Chris George, from both before and after the attack occurred.  These records did not justify his avoidance of prosecution for mental reasons.  Later while still out on bail, Steve was accused of assaulting his wife and failed to appear in court to answer charges.  This charge was later withdrawn by his lawyer wife.

During the next phase of court appearances presided over by Magistrate Jackie Redelinghuys, Steve's first attorney, Thandu-xolo Ncikane, walked out on him, announcing that his withdrawal from the case was "for ethical reasons" and due to an irreconcilable disagreement between attorney and client.  When asked by Magistrate Redelinghuys how he wished to plead, Tladi said: "I have told you I want to plead guilty."   Nevertheless, disturbed by Steve’s demeanour, Redelinghuys entered in a plea of not guilty.  This was based on his utterances in court (described by reporter David Yutar as “petulance, irritation and abrasiveness”) and responses to questions posed to him by Redelinghuys

Redelinghuys, then sent Steve to a mental institution where he was further assessed by three court-approved psychiatrists.  This time he was diagnosed as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.  Therefore, despite Redelinghuys’ statements that Steve had not co-operated with the new psychiatrists and had been unresponsive to questions in court, Steve was found to be “unfit for trial” due to mental illness.  He was not found “not guilty” as was reported in the media.  Nevertheless, Redelinghuys  adjudged Steve to be "a danger to society” and he was declared to be a “State Patient”  and sentenced to be “detained in a psychiatric institution or hospital with such a facility” (which turned out to be Valkenberg Hospital) for life because he was "certifiable in terms of the Mental Health Act".  This ruling could only be modified by the “decision of a judge in chambers."

After this last court session, a lawyer who visited the Mathematics and Applied Mathematics Department to counsel staff also assured them that Steve was to be confined to “a mental institution for life” and, if found to have recovered, could be tried for Brian’s murder.  So, as of 2007, this tragedy had apparently achieved closure.  A dangerous, mentally ill, murderer and alleged wife beater had been permanently removed from society or, if he regained his sanity could be tried for murder. 

This was not to be.

After six months of queries, the UCT Executive has informed me that the murderer had been under the care of a Professor Kalitzki and was considered not a threat to the community or public at large and thus should be integrated back into society.  In terms of Regulation 20 of the Mental Health Care Act, a mental health care practitioner may transfer a patient from an inpatient basis to an outpatient basis. Furthermore, in terms of Regulation 24, any head of a relevant provincial department may transfer a State Patient to another health establishment with the concurrence of the head of that other provincial department, provided such a transfer is deemed necessary for the care, treatment and rehabilitation of the State Patient concerned. Accordingly, the murderer was released into the care and supervision of his wife (a lawyer) and mother in the Limpopo Province to continue his rehabilitation as an outpatient and his case was referred to a Dr Weiss at a hospital in Limpopo. Dr Weiss has confirmed that Dr Tladi has not been discharged as a State Patient and there is no indication that there is any intention to make an application for his discharge. Dr Weiss has indicated that Dr Tladi’s case has since been referred to a new doctor in Limpopo.

In terms of Regulation 20, if the head of the health establishment in question is of the opinion that the mental health status of the patient concerned does not require involuntary care, treatment and rehabilitation services on an inpatient basis, the patient must be released as an outpatient. In the opinion of the doctors, the murderer was of no threat to any member of the public and he has been actively encouraged to return to society and gain employment.

I believe that something very wrong has happened here.  I strongly suspect that he and his lawyer wife (now Director: Legal Services Limpopo of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development) may have manipulated this whole process not only to avoid justice, but to put the murderer in a situation in which he can cause irreparable damage to young and impressionable students.  As evidence of this, below please find a recent e-mail to me from the murderer.

Release from confinement

By 2009, Steve was listed as having been employed (and remains employed) as a senior lecturer and a programme coordinator in mathematics and applied mathematics at the University of Limpopo. 

Despite written enquires to Steve and his wife, Valkengberg Hospital, his post-conviction psychiatrists, the magistrate’s court, relevant government advocates, a host of people at UCT (including its vice chancellor, his office director, his personal assistant and various communication officers) and the Mental Health Review Board - Legal Division, I have been unsuccessful in obtaining information relating to the legal/bureaucratic process, e.g. a ruling by “a judge in chambers” or some administrative process, which changed Steve’s from a “danger to society” confined for life in Valkenberg, to a free man in Limpopo working with impressionable young people at a university.  

All I have are e-mails from Steve in which he states that he is “totally cured” from mental illness as a consequence of a religious experience.  Immediately below, please find one of Steve’s bizarre e-mails to me.

From: Tladi, Stephen <Stephen.Tladi@ul.ac.za>
Sent: 05 January 2016 12:34 PM
To: Timothy Crowe
Subject: Rhapsody of Realities

I was diagnosed with schizophrenia and I believed God will heal me. My lovely wife, Raesibe, introduced me to Rhapsody of Realities and other Rev. Dr. Chris and Anita Oyakhilome's materials. As a result of my intake of the anoited words in those materials, I'm completely healed! Millions of copies of Rhapsody of Realities, the best-selling daily devotional and Bible study guide have been distributed in 242 countries in 660 languages of the world...and we're still counting. New languages are added regularly, making the devotional accessible to many more in different parts of the globe, bringing the richness of God's Word into their lives. Now in its 15th year in print, Rhapsody of Realities remains a life-guide with rich teachings from God's Word. The revelations, teachings, anecdotes and illustrations, Word-based prayers and confessions, proven one-year, and two-year Bible (NKJV) reading plans, are all guaranteed to edify and enrich you walk with the Lord. Sometimes, we have no idea what the Lord is doing behind the scenes on our behalf, which is why the Bible says, "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you". "In everything" means "in every situation"; give the Lord thanks no matter what! When you look at the year 2015 in retrospect, be joyful and excited in your spirit, thankful to the Lord for the triumphs and glories you expect in the coming year 2016.

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU!

UPDATE

Since the onset of my investigations, I have received several e-mail messages from Steve
.

On 10 April 2017, I received a request from now Assoc. Prof. Maleafisha asking to join my LinkedIn network.  In his “Profile” he describes his past as follows:

Associate Professor

Company Name University of Limpopo

Dates Employed Sep 2009 – Present

Employment Duration 7 yrs 8 mos

Location Polokwane Area, South Africa

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS & APPLIED MATHEMATICS
SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICAL & COMPUTER SCIENCES
FACULTY OF SCIENCE & AGRICULTURE

Senior Lecturer

Company Name University of Limpopo

Dates Employed Jan 1988 – Present  NOTE THAT THIS SPANS TIME HE STUDIED IN THE USA, AT UCT AND WAS CONFINED TO VALKENBERG PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL

Employment Duration 29 yrs 4 mos

Location Polokwane Area, South Africa

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer

Company Name DIEMA(Division of Industrial & Engineering MAthematics)

Dates Employed Jan 2000 – Dec 2009  NOTE THAT THIS SPANS HIS TIME AS A CONTRACT LECTURER AT UCT, CONFINED AT VALKENBERG PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL AND EMPLOYED AS A SENIOR LECTURER AT U. LIMPOPO

Employment Duration 10 yrs

Location Cape Town Area, South Africa

Senior Lecturer HE WAS A CONTRACT LECTURER WHOSE POST WAS NOT RENEWED

Company Name University of Cape Town

Dates Employed Jan 1999 – Dec 2004

Employment Duration 6 yrs

Location Cape Town Area, South Africa

Given these findings, I have the following questions:

What were the “ethical reasons” behind the withdrawal of Steve’s first lawyer?

Why was he found to be mentally unfit for trail when records from his personal psychiatrist suggested otherwise?

Did he really assault his wife while on bail, or was this a ploy to ‘prove’ his mental illness?

On what basis was Steve released from psychiatric confinement at Valkenberg apparently after no more than two years? [I have no interest in any of his personal medical records.]

Did Steve’s wife use her skills as a lawyer and influence within government to facilitate his transfer to Limpopo and subsequent release from confinement.

If Steve was released because he was deemed to be fully recovered from “paranoid schizophrenia”, as is suggested by his current employment, should/could he not have been tried for Brian’s murder, e.g. through renewed legal action by the State or UCT?

The University of Cape Town “has a duty and accountability to protect its staff and students” (Professor Francis Petersen,  From the DVC’s desk , 04 February 2016). https://www.uct.ac.za/dailynews/?id=9560 ).

If Steve could not be legally tried for murder and is truly remorseful for Brian’s murder, why was restorative justice apparently not sought by the State or UCT (e.g. as could be inferred from the abovementioned comments by Professor Gobodo-Madikizela -- who is now at the University of the Free State)?  [Perhaps she could be sought to be involved in such a process because her main areas of expertise are traumatic memories in the aftermath of political conflict, post-conflict reconciliation, empathy, forgiveness, psychoanalysis and inter-subjectivity.  To that end, she served on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.]

[Restorative Justice is an approach to justice that aims to involve the parties to a dispute and others affected by the harm (victims, offenders, families concerned and community members) in collectively identifying harms, needs and obligations through accepting responsibilities, making restitution, and taking measures to prevent a recurrence of the incident and promoting reconciliation. - See more at: http://www.justice.gov.za/rj/rj.html#sthash.qjabZvFl.dpuf]

[Steve’s lawyer wife, Jane, could also play a constructive role in this since she as an officer involved with restorative justice in her capacity as Director: Legal Services Limpopo of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.   Such an action (e.g. a well-publicized media event showing remorse, explaining the causes that led to the murder and condemning violence in general and at universities in particular) might have helped to mitigate what later happened, and is still happening, on our campuses.]

Was the University of Limpopo aware of Steve’s violent history and, if so, should he be placed in a position that allows him to influence impressionable young students?

Has justice in this case really been served?  Can we not salvage something constructive from Brian’s death?

Or, is this a case just another episode of How to Get Away with Murder?