UCT Vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng is facing imminent suspension.
A special university council meeting was held on February 9 to hear legal opinions on how to suspend her legitimately even as an inquiry into her conduct is going ahead.
A panel chaired by retired judged Lex Mpati is investigating whether she and the council chair misled the panel about the resignation of former deputy vice-chancellor of teaching and learning Lis Lange. The panel is also investigating a string of executive resignations and concerns about Phakeng’s management of senior staff.
Since the announcement of the panel, the registrar Royston Pillay resigned after two decades at the institution and COO Reno Morar also quit. This apparently caused the majority of the council to turn against her and raise concerns about her leadership style.
Legal advice given in the February 9 council meeting suggested she be suspended and the panel’s terms of reference be amended to include a disciplinary hearing as part of its investigation.
Sources said efforts to hammer out an amicable parting agreement broke down.
Should a settlement not be reached by Friday night, it is believed suspension will follow. She will be given 48 hours to furnish the university with reasons why she shouldn’t be suspended.
Media reports on Friday said Phakeng had already been suspended. Business Day could not speak to her, but in a statement released on Friday afternoon, the university dismissed the media reports, saying she was still in charge of the university.
UCT professor of political studies and sociology Jeremy Seekings on Monday addressed the Cape Town Press Club criticising her governance of the institution.
He said it was “extremely unlikely” that she would be able to continue into her second term which begins midyear because her credibility and legitimacy had been eroded. The majority of council was against her, he said.
Seekings highlighted the dysfunctionality of management under Phakeng who, he said, did not have a good working relationship with most of her executive team. This had resulted in several resignations and axings.
“The vice-chancellor is not good at team work which is a problem,” he said, adding that she was also not transparent.
Over the last year tensions have arisen between the senate, which represents academic staff, council, which is in control of the university administration, and the executive.
“A lot of everyday things are just not being done,” Seekings said. This contributed to the low morale of academics.
“In terms of everyday experiences there is a real crisis.”
With Linda Ensor
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