EDWIN NAIDU
AS STORM clouds gather, embattled University of Cape Town vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng has come out fighting amid claims that she has been suspended.
It has emerged that the University Council had offered her early retirement, with a caveat that it would drop the panel investigating governance claims against her and Chairperson Babalwa Ngonyama.
The vice-chancellor declined the offer, saying she wanted to clarify her name.
Asked about the status of reports that she has been suspended, Phakeng insisted she was an employee of UCT.
“I do not know. Since I am an employee of UCT, I trust that HR will notify me if I am to be suspended, clearly indicate what the charge is and hopefully allow me to indicate why I believe I should not be suspended,” she said.
What do you say to detractors about a crisis when UCT is among the best in five rankings according to global rankings?
“Since I took office as vice-chancellor of UCT, there has been a crisis. In 2018, just 27 days after my being in office, we lost one of our top professors and dean, Prof Bongani Mayosi. In 2019, we had the brutal murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana. In 2020, we had Covid-19, the lockdown and the Ombud report inconsistent with the terms of reference. And in 2021, we had a fire ravaging the Jagger library and other buildings. All these happenings captured the
imagination of the world. In 2022, we had Senate’s allegations that the council chair lied. Through all these, UCT took leadership of all the five major university world rankings. It is important to note that when I took office in 2018, UCT led in only one world ranking and the Business school had fallen off all the rankings. People also forget that when I took office, we had also lost students from our feeder schools. Today we have them back, and we are telling a different story about UCT’s performance under my leadership. I am a decisive leader who holds people accountable, and that has produced results.”
Why is it important for this panel to complete its given task?
“My name has been tarnished. An allegation against the council chair that started with a letter smuggled into the senate has suddenly changed to be about me. I have never received any letter or notification from HR about misconduct. I read about the council’s decisions in the media, so the panel must happen, and my name is cleared. People want to know the truth, and I cannot tell my side of the story because it would be unprofessional. So, I keep
quiet even when I see untruths being perpetuated by senior professors of the university who do not even serve on the council. So, I want the panel to go ahead, and I want it to be public.”
What message do you have for the UCT community being exposed to misinformation and confusion?
“Do not believe everything you read in the newspapers.”
Controversy aside, are you proud of what UCT has achieved under your stewardship?
“I am very proud! Extremely proud,” she said.
On Sunday, Ngonyama, the Chair of the UCT Council, told the university community in a letter that the council met on Thursday, 9 February 2023, to discuss issues around the Vice-Chancellor and the instability of the executive team and took specific resolutions.
“We have scheduled a meeting early next week to thoroughly and thoughtfully consider options and potential resolutions, after which we will report back to you with the way forward. We do not want to pre-empt any outcome.”
Masixole Mlandu, a student leader from the #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMust Fall movement, told Inside Politics that the calls for the vice-chancellor to resign have long come from academics and staff “who feel the university belongs to them”.
“The charge labelled against the VC is racist at best and shows the arrogance of those who wish to do away with the small gains the university has made since 2015. I believe that the VC should fight this. Students, staff and academics interested in fair governance and transforming the university must unite and elevate the debate to an issue beyond a false university governance crisis.”
The Black Academic Caucus said in a statement that it was alarmed that the Council had offered the vice-chancellor early retirement.
“The university experienced great turmoil and suffered reputational damage over the last year due to the issues that were supposed to be investigated by the recently appointed independent panel led by [retired] Judge [Lex] Mpati. We are confident that this panel will be allowed to continue with its work and to dig deep into the leadership failures at
the institution,” said the Black Academic Caucus in a statement.
“We, therefore, call on Council to stick to its original resolution and allow the panel to conclude its important work that should benefit the university. Finally, we urge Council to provide the necessary resources and support to the panel so it can do its work as speedily as possible.”
INSIDE POLITICS
