UCT leadership capable to finding solutions to its problems – Universities SA

The public must allow the University of Cape Town to deal with problems it is facing at the moment as it has a leadership capable of addressing them.

This is the call that has been made by the chairperson of Universities SA, Prof Sibongile Muthwa, as UCT faces a tough time with senior staff resigning and governance issues.

On Monday, Sowetan reported that UCT’s vice-chancellor Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng’s nephew took responsibility for a tweet which compared her to a senior colleague who committed suicide four years ago.

Phakeng has been at the centre of a storm at the university where her opponents accused her of governance shortcomings while supporters see her as a victim of a racial witch-hunt.

Muthwa said each of the universities has structures in place that oversee governance, management and stakeholder relations to ensure good teaching, learning, research and engagement.

“We trust those tasked with steering the University of Cape Town’s council and senate to discharge their duties to the best of their ability, and in ways that secure lasting solutions to the current difficulties, while safeguarding UCT’s reputation and standing,” Muthwa said.

She said other public universities had faced similar problems to UCT and they were allowed to address them.

“We have respected all those institutions’ autonomy and the processes that were instituted to restore them to stability. UCT is no different, and therefore, it would be inappropriate of us to focus on the specific challenges that the institution is facing right now.

“From reports we have seen over the past few days, it appears that UCT stakeholders are ready to proceed in a concerted manner to resolve the matters at hand. We must encourage them to stay on course and find lasting solutions…It is from this basic tenet that we choose to abstain from debating these challenges in the media, and wish that our standpoint be respected,” Muthwa said.

Phakeng’s social media manger, Ndumiso Nkosi, responded to UCT’s row, saying the vice-chancellor “almost went the Mayosi route” in reference to the late Prof Bongani Mayosi, the former dean of health sciences at UCT who took his own life in 2018, apparently because of racism at UCT.

Mayosi’s sister, Ncumisa Mayosi, criticised Phakeng for mentioning her late brother on social media, saying it was disturbing and lacked empathy.

Mayosi wrote to Phakeng and copied UCT council chairperson Babalwa Ngonyama, describing her conduct as “immoral, unethical and hurtful”.

However, Nkosi defended the tweet, pointing out that Phakeng had twice attempted to take her own life.

On Saturday, the UCT council voted on an external investigation to look into the resignations of senior staff and governance issues at the institution.  The council said it will oversee the appointment of a five-member independent panel which will be asked to report by the end of the year.

dlaminip@sowetan.co.za