Prof Mosa Moshabela to be announced as UCT vice-chancellor 

University of Cape Town (UCT) council chairperson Norman Arendse is expected to announce Prof Mosa Moshabela as the university’s new vice-chancellor on Friday.

Moshabela, whose name was put forward by the UCT Senate, is currently the deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

He is also a faculty member of the HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Health Implementation Research Institute at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, in the US.

In his role at UKZN, Moshabela oversees a large institution-wide portfolio, including research management, development, ethics, integrity, capacity building, innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and commercialisation.

Read more in Daily Maverick: UCT council still in talks to choose new VC, but Moshabela is the senate’s frontrunner

Other positions he holds or has held include the National Research Foundation board chair, the former chair of the Standing Committee on Health at the Academy of Science of South Africa, and former board member of the South African Medical Research Council.

According to his CV, Moshabela is a medical practitioner working as a specialist. His qualifications include Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery obtained at UKZN in 2001; Diploma in HIV from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa in 2006; Master of Medicine in Family Medicine from the University of Limpopo in 2009; Doctor of Philosophy from Wits University in 2012, and an MSc in Demography and Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK in 2017.

He will be taking over from Prof Dayanand Reddy, who has been acting as interim vice-chancellor since the departure of Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng on 3 March 2023.

An independent panel tasked with investigating governance failures at the University of Cape Town released a report in November last year painting a picture of a deeply divide and traumatised university.

It was scorching in its condemnation of both former vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng and former UCT Council chair Babalwa Ngonyama, stating: “To conclude that Ngonyama and Phakeng’s conduct during this period amounted to a governance failure would be understatement”.

The report by an independent panel investigating governance failures at UCT in recent years excoriated Phakeng. It painted a picture of a narcissistic and thin-skinned leader who exploited and encouraged racial divisions – talking up a narrative of racial empowerment in public while saving some of her worst abuse for black women in private.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Independent report spits fire at UCT’s recent leadership, blasting Mamokgethi Phakeng

There is no doubt Moshabela will have to prioritise the healing of the institution.

Also contending for the top job at UCT are Prof José Frantz, deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation at the University of the Western Cape (UWC); and University of Venda deputy vice-chancellor for research and postgraduate studies, Prof Nosisi Nellie Feza.

The trio presented to the university community on 4 April on the topic: “UCT is ranked as the premier African university. What would your priorities, with specific actions, be in your first two years as VC to consolidate this status, taking into account emerging opportunities and challenges as well as the ongoing need for transformation of the institution?”

UCT advertised the post on 19 December 2023 and applications closed on 31 January. The position is for five years, renewable subject to a satisfactory performance review.

The three candidates shortlisted for the UCT top job are (from left) Professor José Frantz from the University of the Western Cape (Photo: UWC / Wikipedia); Professor Mosa Moshabela from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Photo: Supplied / Spotlight); and Professor Nosisi Nellie Feza of the University of Venda (Photo: University of Venda / Wikipedia).