Staff Reporter
Professor Thabo Msibi has been appointed chairperson of the seventh Umalusi Council.
Msibi, UKZN’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, was appointed by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube for a four-year term from 8 June 2026 to 7 June 2030.
Umalusi oversees the development and management of qualifications within the General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Sub-Framework.
Msibi, a professor of Curriculum Studies in UKZN’s School of Education, previously served as a member of the Umalusi Council. He now assumes the council’s highest leadership position.
“I am deeply honoured by my appointment as Chairperson of the Umalusi Council and grateful for the confidence placed in me to serve in this important national role. Umalusi plays a vital role in safeguarding the quality, credibility, and integrity of South Africa’s education system,” Msibi said.
“I look forward to working with Council members, leadership, and stakeholders across the sector to advance its mandate and contribute to the strengthening of quality education. This is both a privilege and a responsibility, and I am committed to serving with dedication, integrity, and purpose.”
His appointment adds to a record of academic and institutional leadership. He previously served as Dean and Head of the School of Education at UKZN, becoming the youngest dean in South Africa at the time of his appointment. He was also the youngest executive member of the South African Comparative and History of Education Society.
A UKZN alumnus, Msibi obtained both his Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Education Honours degrees from the university. He completed a Master of Education degree at Teachers College, Columbia University, and later earned a PhD in Education from the University of Cambridge.
Msibi is an NRF P-rated researcher and the first Black South African education scholar to receive the National Research Foundation’s P-rating, often referred to as the President’s Award. The rating recognises exceptional researchers who demonstrate outstanding potential to become future leaders in their fields.
His research has been published in South African and international journals and books. He is the author of Hidden Sexualities of South African Teachers: Black Male Educators and Same-Sex Desire and co-editor of Gender, Sexuality and Violence in South African Educational Spaces.
He also serves as an associate editor of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality in Education and sits on the editorial boards of several academic journals, including Perspectives in Education, Alternation, Transformation in Higher Education and the International Journal of Critical Diversity Studies.
Msibi also founded a debating league aimed at bridging the divide between township and urban schools and strengthening English language proficiency among township learners. He later established the Community Development Association, a national organisation focused on youth-driven education and leadership development programmes.
UKZN congratulated Msibi on the appointment, with its Executive Director for Corporate Relations, Dr Normah Zondo, saying his appointment was a fitting recognition of his contribution to education and leadership in South Africa.
“Throughout his career, he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to educational excellence and social justice. We are immensely proud that he is contributing to shaping the future of quality assurance and standards in South African education at a national level,” Zondo said.
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