NYAKALLO TEFU
The University of Cape Town has appointed a new council made up of an all-women team described by its Vice-Chancellor Mmamokgethi Phakeng as “historic”.
Babalwa Ngonyama has been elected the chairperson of the new UCT Council and Nazeema Mohamed her deputy.
A meeting of the new Council of the University of Cape Town was convened on July 1 2020.
The Council, constituted in terms of a revised institutional statute as gazetted earlier in 2020, welcomed continuing and new members.
In a statement, Ngonyama said the Council’s most immediate task was to elect office-bearers to chair the key governance committees of the university.
“Each of us has had the benefit of having served on the previous Council, and with the support of the full Council, continuing and new members alike, we are confident that our governance body is well-placed to fulfill its obligations to the University over the next four years,” said Ngonyama.
The council also elected other members of the new council constituted in terms of a revised institutional statute as gazetted earlier this year.
Ngonyama said being a new governing Board, the Council has the opportunity to start afresh, to restate its commitment to the mission of the university and to support the members of the university executive in their leadership and management of the university.
“The Council is aware of the many past and more recent successes of the university, and the collective contributions of the Vice-Chancellor and her senior executive team in leading and managing UCT during these extremely demanding times,” added Ngonyama.
The new council will also look at an explosive report by Ombud Zetu Makamandela-Mguqulwa into the leadership style of University of Cape Town’s vice-chancellor (VC) Mamokgethi Phakeng.
Makamandela-Mguqulwa last week lashed out at Phakeng and other executives in her 2019 annual report published on the ombud’s website.
“The Council has noted the UCT Ombud’s report for 2019 which has resulted in various reports in the media. The Office of the Ombud is an independent office that reports to Council. As such the decision to release such a report is the responsibility of the Council. Due process was not followed in the release of this report which is deeply regrettable. As the new Council we are committed to ensuring that the institutional mechanisms to safeguard the integrity of the University’s processes are strengthened with due respect for the principles of administrative justice and protection of the rights of all concerned,” she said.
(Compiled by Inside Education staff)
