Cape Town - New UCT vice chancellor, Professor Mosa Moshabela is flying straight out of the gate.
This after the university announced earlier this week that his tenure would start two months earlier than initially planned.
The UCT Council announced on Monday that Moshabela would be taking the reins from interim vice-chancellor Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy, effective from August 1, as opposed to October 1.
Reddy has served as interim vice-chancellor since March 2023.
Council chairperson Norman Arendse said professor Reddy was in full support of the earlier start date, and will step down as interim vice-chancellor on July 31. Arendse said Professor Reddy would, however, continue to be available to support Professor Moshabela “in a part-time advisory capacity for a period of time that is (yet) to be determined”.
“UCT owes Professor Reddy a debt of gratitude for taking on the responsibilities of vice-chancellor at a very challenging time for our institution, and making a significant leadership contribution when it was most needed.
“The UCT Council extends its deep gratitude to Professor Reddy and welcomes Professor Moshabela as the next vice-chancellor with effect from August 1 2024.”
The decision to have Moshabela commence his tenure earlier was that of Council’s. Arendse said Moshabela had become available earlier than initially expected.
“Following internal consultation, it was agreed that Professor Moshabela would take up the role of VC with effect from August 1 2024,” Arendse said.
Professor Moshabela said the earlier start became possible due to several factors coming into alignment. With the new UCT Council newly appointed, this also provided an opportunity to start at almost the same time as the new governance structure.
The new UCT Council held its first plenary meeting on July 6, with all 30 members appointed, commencing its four-year term (July 1 2024–30 June 2028).
“Over the past few weeks, I have been properly briefed on some of the more pressing governance and management issues at UCT. I see the value of starting earlier so as to bring about some certainty in leadership and shoulder the responsibility of making decisions with longer-term implications.
“I don’t want UCT to be sitting for too long with shelved decisions awaiting the new VC, and a head start of two months will go a long way in getting UCT to move swiftly forward,” professor Moshabela said.
UCT SRC president Hlamulo Khorommbi said as the institution had a lot of vacancies in executive positions, it would also allow professor Moshabela to be part of the process of electing suitable individuals he would be working alongside during his term.
“We have DVCs which are acting, two DVCs are acting. We don’t have EDHR, we don’t have a registrar, we have quite a number of vacancies. It would not make sense for the interim vice chancellor who is going to leave now, to be the one who is part and parcel of all these processes.”
He expressed that the SRC was excited to be working with Professor Moshabela.
“He shows that he is someone who will bring innovative ideas to the institution. He is someone which we are willingly, we are looking forward to working with.”
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za