Former vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng – depicted as having an “antagonistic” leadership style, backed by UCT council chairperson Babalwa Ngonyama – said she was studying the university’s independent panel report with her legal team and would “take appropriate steps as deemed necessary” in due course.
The two have been blamed for UCT’s governance crisis following an independent panel report chaired by retired Supreme Court of Appeal president Judge Lex Mpati, tasked to investigate challenges at the university.
The report found that Phakeng repeatedly conducted herself unprofessionally.
“(Doing so) by engaging in activity that is prohibited in the UCT workplace, including using threats, intimidation, ethnic slurs, personal insults and also posting racially offensive material on social media.”
Phakeng was further accused of instituting petty charges if she disliked a staff member or academic which saw about eight individuals resign or retire “prematurely” due to her conduct, creating a “toxic work environment”.
In response to the allegations, Phakeng said: “I have had my first chance to read the UCT Panel Report which, in my view, contains information about my time as UCT VC that is inaccurate and potentially damaging to my reputation.
I will study the report further with my legal team and I will take appropriate steps, as deemed necessary, in due course. As this matter may become litigious, and based on the advice of my legal team, I will not be doing any interviews at this stage.”
According to the report, of the eight individuals who experienced or witnessed systematic abuse, allegedly at the hands of Phakeng, was former deputy vice-chancellor of transformation, Loretta Feris.
“Feris was the victim of an abuse of power, often in the presence of others, by the VC (Phakeng) over a protracted period of more than three years.
In her case the VC particularly baited and unfairly discriminated against her on the ground of her race, insisting that she was coloured and not black,” the report stated.
It claimed Ngonyama also behaved unprofessionally by berating Feris in a council meeting, shortly before initiating her removal.
“Council, through its most senior officials, failed in its duty to take reasonable steps to prevent the abuse and act on it. Feris was effectively constructively dismissed.”
The panel found both Ngonyama and Phakeng acted improperly and unlawfully in handling the termination of Feris’s contract, in addition to creating a work environment for Feris which became “intolerable”.
“With the two most senior office bearers in UCT having effectively gone rogue, other members of exco began to plan their departures,” it said.
The panel was of the view that soon after Ngonyama was elected as chairperson of council in July 2023, that her strategy for dealing with executive dysfunction was to give Phakeng unqualified support instead of holding her to account.
“The ill-conceived strategy involved suppressing the allegations of bullying against the VC in the Ombud Report and appointing the Board of Practice (BOP) to support the exco.
Ngonyama participated in and directed the work of BOP, making a mockery of her role as an office bearer of council responsible for holding the VC to account,” it said.
Meanwhile, Ngonyama did not respond to questions, however, Vukile Property Fund Limited’s board of directors announced that she resigned as an independent non executive director of the company, as chairperson and member of the audit and risk committee with effect on Thursday.
It added that the announcement was done in accordance with JSE Limited listing requirements.
“(This is) in order to focus on the legal review process pertaining to the allegations and findings against her by the independent panel constituted by the UCT Council, which is currently pending.
“The Board would like to extend its appreciation to Ms Ngonyama for her commitment and service to the company over the past number of years and wish her the best for the future.
The Board further advises that Dr Renosi Mokate, current member of the audit and risk committee and lead independent director, will assume the role of chairperson of the audit and risk committee and that Mr James Formby has been appointed as a member of the audit and risk committee, both effective on November 2,” said the company.
As part of the recommendations, the panel suggested that a written public apology be made to eight individuals for the circumstances giving rise to their resignations and commending them for their meritorious service to UCT.
“To conclude that Ngonyama and Phakeng’s conduct during this period amounted to a governance failure would be an understatement. In an attempt to shield themselves from accountability, they subverted the policies and procedures of UCT.”
Cape Times