Cape Town - UCT former vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng could be headed for a legal showdown after her comments in recent interviews in efforts to tell her side of the story.
Phakeng, 57, left office early last month after apparently agreeing to an early exit settlement.
This followed months of a messy battle with the university Council.
Her professorship was expected to terminate with effect from March next year, however, chairperson of UCT Council Babalwa Ngonyama has revealed that Phakeng has now also quit as a professor at the institution.
“Professor Phakeng remained in UCT’s employment as professor in the School of Education.
“She has since elected to take early retirement as a professor in the school.
“The early retirement took effect as from April 1 2023. Council has noted Professor Phakeng’s departure from UCT,” she said.
Since her departure from the university Phakeng has been speaking out about being attacked and labelled a bully.
Recently she was interviewed at the UnCancelled show with Gareth Cliff and Dr Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh’s SMWX.
Responding to questions about conducting interviews, at risk of breaching her agreement with UCT, Phakeng hinted that the university could not cancel the agreement, “otherwise “I’ll go back and be the VC”.
“I have been criticised of many things but not of incompetence throughout my tenure as UCT’s VC. The media attacks were well co-ordinated from the start because there is absolutely no way this contestation was going to be won by the other side without the (use) of the media.
Confidential documents of the university have been leaked since 2019.
“You are investigating me because there is an alleged issue of governance.
They had a bigger problem of governance – the continued leaks. Some of the things had not been declared yet, including my agreement with the university.
I’m not allowed to talk about them but the media published confidential information in the public domain and no one challenged that or how it came out,” said Phakeng.
Phakeng also touched on political agendas and the matter of deputy vice-chancellor for teaching and learning, Lis Lange’s resignation, claiming she had nothing to do with it and pointed at Ngonyama.
Ngonyama said: “We have also noted with concern the allegations concerning the university and its Council in a number of media engagements by the former vice-chancellor and the university is taking legal advice on what its rights are in respect of those allegations.
The UCT Council continues giving attention to its governance role and to supporting the interim vice-chancellor and his team in leading and managing the university.”
Cape Times