Since 2018 the leaders of the UCT Council have made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to address the weaknesses in the vice-chancellor’s leadership. They have also consistently sought to cover up the problems — and their own failures to solve them.
As the current saga enveloping the University of Cape Town shifts at bewildering speed, it is important to focus on the underlying issue: repeated attempts to cover up leadership failures at the university.announce a U-turn
Underlying these issues, however, are more fundamental ones. The issues of leadership, transparency and accountability plague much of South African society today. The individuals wielding power — in the university as in the state — endeavour to keep any alleged misconduct out of sight. Covering up is commonplace.
Since 2018, the leaders of the council have made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to address the weaknesses in the new vice-chancellor’s leadership. They have also consistently sought to cover up the problems — and their own failures to solve them. According to the ombud’s report, people complained that the VC used “combative and violent” language and saw disagreements in terms of “winners and losers”.
The chair and deputy chair reported back to the council that there was — in their words — an “authoritarian leadership style”, pervasive “mistrust”, “mindless insecurity” , “abrasive behaviour”, “poor interpersonal skills and an inability to build a cohesive team” and a “non-collegial culture”.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
GOVERNANCE FAILURE: Eskom custodian Gordhan is now a thorn in the side of the state-owned enterprise’s reform agendaPravin Gordhan’s return to Cabinet in 2018 was celebrated. He was deemed perfect for the clean-up of state-owned enterprises after a destructive period of State Capture. But on Gordhan’s watch, Eskom remains broken.
Read more »
UCT SRC calls for new ombud to be appointed amid leadership row | News24The Students Representative Council at the University of Cape Town has called for the urgent appointment of a new Ombud to handle a tense situation involving vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, the council and senate. | itchybyte
Read more »
UCT Council conflict: a stark divide in finding a way forwardConcerns raised by UCT insiders that the university is on the brink of a governance crisis have been revealed. In a Council meeting to address allegations of mismanagement, the vote on a way forward was split. Two opposing narratives have been presented:
Read more »