TimesLive reports that amid an information war still raging at the University of Cape Town (UCT), outgoing vice-chancellor Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng has been placed on leave “with immediate effect”.
Her role officially ends on 3 March, but internal communications reveal an ongoing struggle – between her and the university council headed by Babalwa Ngonyama – over the narrative framing her exit from the university. Earlier this week, Phakeng sent a message on an internal platform confirming that as of 3 March she would be “standing down as vice-chancellor”. She said she had first turned down a settlement for standing down but had “come to realise that [her] position is now untenable”, which was why, “with reluctance, [she] had agreed to early retirement”. She will apparently receive a settlement of about R12m. Phakeng lashed out at Ngonyama, saying: “In her confidential message to the university, the chair of council reports that we have failed to agree on a mutually acceptable statement” after the special council meeting last week where the settlement was agreed upon. This, according to Phakeng, was because the chair “refuses to acknowledge publicly that no disciplinary charges have been laid against me”. Then on Tuesday, Ngonyama messaged as follows: “As you know, Prof Phakeng will retire early from the position of vice-chancellor, and this will take effect as from the end of Friday, March 3. In order to give effect to the necessary transition arrangements, please note that Prof Phakeng will be on leave with immediate effect.” Deputy vice-chancellor Sue Harrison will act as vice-chancellor until an interim replacement has been appointed.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tanya Farber & Philani Nombembe at BusinessLive
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