• Top posts held by women in new UCT Council.
• Vice-Chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng notes historic first woman chair of the council.
• Still no replies to questions about governance and accountability - in response to the UCT ombud's allegations against Phakeng.

The University of Cape Town has announced its new senior leadership of the UCT Council - made up of an all-women team described by its Vice-Chancellor as "historic".

The council serves as the equivalent of the board of an institution, and holds the executive management to account, among other oversight duties and responsibilities.

The last four-year term of office concluded on 30 June, and the newly-elected board convened for its inaugural gathering on Saturday.

On Monday, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng announced the election of the council's full team of leaders: "I am excited to share with you that Ms Babalwa Ngonyama was elected as the new chair of Council, and Ms Nazeema Mohamed as deputy chair."

"The new Council officially started its term on 1 July 2020 and will be in office until 30 June 2024. The election of the Chair, Deputy Chair and committee chairpersons took place at the first meeting held on Saturday, 11 July 2020.

"The election of Ms Ngonyama and Ms Mohamed is a significant occurrence as it will be for the first time in UCT's history that these two key roles on the oversight structure of the university are simultaneously occupied by women. Even more historic, it is for the first time that UCT has a female chair of Council.

"Furthermore, the election of Ms Ngonyama as chair also means that the university now has women leaders at the helm in the crucial governance, ceremonial and executive roles, with the latter two being the chancellor, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe and myself," Phakeng said.

Bombshell report

The new election comes amid the release of a bombshell report last week by UCT's ombud Zetu Makamandela-Mguqulwa, and will be one of the issues with which the new council will be tasked.

Included in the report are claims of "bullying" and a culture of fear levelled against high-ranking leaders, most notably Phakeng. Phakeng denied the claims.

Phakeng explained: "Council's Executive Committee (EXCO) is composed of the chair and deputy chair of Council, the vice-chancellor, one of the Senate-elected members of Council, one of the student members of Council and three other members of Council, one of whom must be the chair of the University Finance Committee.

"The EXCO membership has been confirmed as comprising Ms Ngonyama (chair of Council), Ms Mohamed (deputy chair), the vice-chancellor, Professor Ntobeko Ntusi (Senate-elected Council member), Mr Sihle Lonzi (student member), Ms Khanyile (chair of the University Finance Committee) as well as Ms Barsel and Ms Dianna Yach as Council members.

"We are looking forward to working closely with the new Council. We have no doubt that all the members bring a diverse range of expertise and experience that will serve UCT well through the four-year term," Phakeng said.

On UCT's website, this is written of the new chair, Ngonyama: "With experience spanning more than two decades, Sinayo Securities founder and CEO Babalwa Ngonyama has enjoyed an illustrious career in the financial services sector. Now, in her new role as the Chairperson of the Council of the University of Cape Town – and previously the chairperson of its Finance Committee since 2016 - Ngonyama views her appointment as a significant opportunity to contribute meaningfully to education.

Ngonyama said:

Of her deputy, Mohammed, this appears: "Nazeema Mohamed currently serves as the recently appointed executive director of lnyathelo: The South African Institute for Advancement. She joined lnyathelo after working as a consultant and a stay-at-home mom for four years while her daughter had open-heart surgery, spine surgery and eye surgery. When time would allow, she worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator for Emutihini and the Wits Institute for Cultural and Diversity Studies. She has run workshops for the National Research Foundation, Standard Bank's Information Technology Division and ABSA Corporate Investment Banking."

The council comprises 30 people - 60% of whom are external members, and 40% internal members.

The outgoing chair, Sipho Pityana, as well as the Vice Chancellor, last week declined to answer several detailed questions posed - after Makamandela-Mguqulwa published her 2019 ombud's report.

The 14 questions posed, which the outgoing council chair, the University and the Vice Chancellor declined to answer, included whether the matter was being dealt with, and what the proposals would be going forward.

Last week, the university responded: "Council has a fiduciary responsibility in carrying out its governance obligations, which it does with due regard to the interests of the University of Cape Town. The issues raised relate to confidential council deliberations and documents, and it is not appropriate for such matters to be discussed outside of the council processes or in the media."

A spokesperson for Pityana responded: "I've been advised to inform you that Mr Pityana is no longer an officer of the university and that you should channel your query to the vice-chancellor and/or the registrar."

The questions posed last week, which the outgoing Council chair, the University and the Vice Chancellor declined to answer, included:

• The Ombud has made serious allegations against the Vice Chancellor. Have these been investigated, by whom, and what has been the outcome?
• Is this matter being dealt with, still, in any other processes or forums – and, if so, what are these?
• On June 10, in a "Final Report to UCT Council", by Sipho Pityana, Chair, and Shirley Zinn, Deputy Chair, it is stated: "It became apparent to Council that in the course of engaging with the Ombud’s Report, as reported by the Chair of Council, that the relations between these key Executives of the University were severely impaired and possibly threatened the governance of the institution." How has this matter been addressed?
• What is the state of relations between the Vice Chancellor and the Deputy Vice Chancellors and Chief Operating Officer? Are "agreements" still in place between them (in which the parties commit to various processes)?
• What monetary costs have been incurred, to deal with the "Dysfunctional Executive Relations" cited? Are such costs within existing budgets - or "on top of" previously allocated coaching/mentoring/mediation resources?
• Does the UCT Council believe the "Dysfunctional Executive Relations" persist, and continue to represent a threat to "the governance of the institution"?
• How many different relationship disputes, between or involving members of the Executive, have been allocated UCT conflict-mediation or personal support resources (coaching, mentoring, etc.) in the year 2020 (or any definable period)?
• Are performance management monitoring systems in place, monitor potential repeats of behaviour, which Council is aware of?
• Are there any processes underway to re-define the "terms of reference" of the role of the Ombud? If so, why is this necessary, now?