News24 reports that University of Cape Town (UCT) Council chair Babalwa Ngonyama has tendered her resignation, which was effective immediately. Citing the impact of the "current circumstances on [her] wellness and health", she said she considered her "unreserved commitment… which was and is to put the interests of the institution first and foremost at all times".

The move comes weeks after the departure of former vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, who – together with Ngonyama – found themselves at the centre of an independent judicial investigation into the governance crisis at the institution. A panel was constituted last year, following allegations that Ngonyama had supplied false reasons to the UCT senate for the early departure of Professor Lis Lange, who had been the deputy vice-chancellor for learning and teaching. According to Ngonyama, Lange chose to leave of her own accord for personal reasons. Lange, however, denied this, saying Ngonyama had effectively pushed her out and told her that Phakeng didn't want her to continue as her second in command. In a communiqué announcing her resignation, Ngonyama said she was "willing to cooperate with the work of the panel as it presents UCT with an opportunity to address the challenges that beset the university". But, she argued, it was "one thing to focus on improving governance at UCT; it is a completely different matter to use the process in an attempt to lay blame". Ngonyama earlier challenged the procedural fairness of the process as well as the nature and extent of the panel's powers in court. "This prompted the panel to release a pre-emptive interim report to council, recommending that steps be taken to remove me as chair," she stated.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tammy Petersen at News24

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