The report released this week by an independent panel investigating governance failures at UCT in recent years excoriates former vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng.
It paints 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.
Her behaviour was aided and protected by former UCT Council chair Babalwa Ngonyama’s multiple breaches of good governance. The report finds “Ngonyama’s conduct in failing to perform her fiduciary duty to UCT” sufficiently concerning that it recommends the businesswoman “be reported to the appropriate regulatory authorities”.The report was produced by a panel chaired by retired judge Lex Mpati, joined by Judge Azhar Cachalia, Dr Patricia Hanekom and Dr Bernadette Johnson.
“Soon into Phakeng’s term as DVC, problems arose with her leadership,” the report states. Phakeng had poor relationships with other members of the leadership team and was hostile to any criticism or comment from her peers, no matter how well meant”. “Mtyingizana stated that Phakeng’s behaviour towards her began to affect her health. She left UCT in 2018, less than a year after her appointment,” the report states.Phakeng was appointed to the UCT top spot despite misgivings – and one of the unofficial conditions imposed upon her was that she would work with a coach to improve her leadership style.
In one incident reported to the panel, Phakeng opposed the appointment of a black external candidate in favour of a white internal candidate because she was reportedly convinced the black candidate was being “pushed…as a possible replacement for herself”.
The report supports the account previously given by Lis Lange that Ngonyama and Phakeng in effect colluded to push her out of her position. In the panel’s words, “ malign interest in wanting to push Lange out converged”. Phakeng’s subsequent account to the UCT Senate about why and how Lange was leaving her position was “untruthful”.
Pityana subsequently failed to take decisive action against Phakeng, in the panel’s view at least partly because “he was reluctant to act against a black female VC because he feared a backlash from her supporters and elsewhere”.
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