Another UCT leadership spat exposes deep-rooted fractures

The University of Cape Town (UCT) sits comfortably within the top 10% of universities worldwide.

Notable alumni include a host of Nobel laureates such as JM Coetzee and Sir Aaron Klug, as well as luminaries like former president Thabo Mbeki, pioneering heart surgeon Christiaan Barnard, tech billionaire Mark Shuttleworth and many others.

It is a proud educational institution, steeped in history, which makes the recurring leadership challenges that plague it unseemly and not fitting of a university of its gravitas.

Once again, a vice-chancellor is at loggerheads with the university council.

The details are muddy and complex, but effectively centre on several opaque complaints against VC Prof Mosa Moshabela brought by staff and students. Most of them allegedly related to “evaluative relationships” ― difficulties arising where one person exercises managerial, supervisory or other authority over another. However, three related to sexual harassment and three others involved claims of discrimination ― two based on culture and one on gender.

The only problem is, Moshabela was not privy to the details of the complaints. Despite this, the council directed him to undergo executive coaching and an annual review with feedback from staff.

Moshabela argues that he didn’t get a copy of the investigator’s report, was not given an opportunity to answer to the claims and has been subjected to compulsory remedial action based on findings he has not seen.

If that is true, the UCT council has egg on its face for its shoddy handling of the issue.

Moshabela’s appointment in 2024 was largely seen as bringing stability to the university, which had been wracked by controversy during the turbulent tenure of former VC Mamokgethi Phakeng.

Phakeng left under a cloud in 2023 after being found to have conducted herself unprofessionally by engaging in threats, intimidation, ethnic slurs and personal insults, fostering a “culture of fear” among staff.

When a vice-chancellor routinely bypasses internal dispute resolution to battle it out in court, the administrative apparatus is fundamentally broken.

An independent panel chaired by retired judge Lex Mpati delivered a scathing review of this era, noting that the sheer scale of the governance failures, coupled with the erosion of traditional collegial governance, actively compromised UCT’s core academic activities — specifically its teaching and research functions.

And before Phakeng was Max Price, whose clashes with the university council over the #FeesMustFall protests that brought the campus to a standstill are well documented.

The university’s leadership trajectory over the past decade is a sobering case study on how institutional governance can fracture when executive power clashes with oversight.

This persistent instability in the relationship between VCs and the UCT council clearly goes way beyond personality clashes. Instead, it speaks to an institution that is struggling with governance mechanisms.

When a vice-chancellor routinely bypasses internal dispute resolution to battle it out in court, the administrative apparatus is fundamentally broken.

The governing body itself appears to be wracked with infighting, with reports of a looming mutiny and accusations of “overreach” and “obstruction”.

Academic prestige cannot indefinitely shield an institution from systemic managerial rot. For UCT to safeguard its global standing, it must move beyond short-term “executive coaching” or expensive golden handshakes.

It requires a profound cultural overhaul that prioritises institutional accountability, transparent oversight and a genuine commitment to basic workplace dignity.