UWC council confirms legal advice on VC recruitment process — will only share with other structures next year

Academics at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) appear to be uninformed about the legal advice that the council sought as part of the recruitment process of the rector and vice-chancellor.

The advice, which the council under former chairperson Judge Nathan Erasmus sought to source after it backtracked on a decision to cancel and recommence the recruitment process of the vice-chancellor and rector, has not been shared within the university community.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Drama over University of the Western Cape decision to terminate vice-chancellor recruitment process

The senate, a structure dominated by academics, had put pressure on the council in November to reconsider its decision taken on 26 October 2023 to restart the process.

The members of the structure voted against the council’s decision.

Later, the council rescinded its decision on 23 November but indicated that new information relative to the process had been received and that the director of legal services has been tasked to provide urgent external legal advice on the appropriate way forward, so that the council could take an informed decision.

The shortlisted candidates for the post are professors Vivienne Lawack, Jose Frantz and Robert Balfour.

The term of the current rector and vice-chancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius comes to an end at the end of 2024 academic year.

The senate had recommended Lawack for the post before the council took a decision to cancel and restart the process on 26 October.

Read more in Daily Maverick: UWC council ‘U-turns’ on critical decision to cancel and restart VC appointment process

Three insiders told Daily Maverick that they were in the dark about the legal advice and that there are concerns among academics about the delay in announcing it.

Senior academic at UWC Professor Alan Christoffels said on Tuesday that the senate members remain unclear about the legal advice.

An academic also said Erasmus’ term had concluded at the end of November and that he should have maybe completed the process as his last act instead of handing over to new chairperson Xoliswa Daku.

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