Under-fire University of Cape Town Vice-Chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Cape Town - The University of Cape Town's under-fire Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng has opened up for the first time in the midst of an ongoing saga, which sees her subject to an investigation by Council.
Phakeng, who became UCT’s principal in 2018, is currently under fire at Africa’s leading university with complaints about her management style amid a reported exodus of executives at the university.
Phakeng’s Twitter account has also become a subject of debate lately.
On Wednesday, Phakeng, who is currently on holiday in the US, spoke to Talk Radio 702’s Clement Manyathela on Wednesday.
“All I know is that being a Vice-Chancellor is not a walk in the park, in any university in the world. I don’t know what is this about but all I know is that the job of being a Vice-Chancellor is incredibly difficult, I don’t want anyone to think I want an easy job.
“I took office at the time when the institution was going through protests, shutdown after shutdown. I came with an agenda that said we have got to make peace, even if there is destruction,” she said.
Phakeng said she may be scaring certain people at the university, but she also said the contestation was also affecting her own mental health. She said she had also attempted to take her own life.
She also said she did not believe that the challenges were because of her transformation agenda at the university.
“I had to get help and some people don’t like talking about their mental well-being and I don’t think there is something wrong with them, simply, they are struggling with depression. I started taking antidepressants in 2018 and I was brutal,” she said.
Meanwhile, on the matter regarding the controversial tweets about Professor Bongani Mayosi’s death by suicide - termed as the “Mayosi route” by Phakeng in a tweet, she insisted that the tweet was published by her nephew.
Phakeng would not apologise or take accountability for the tweet, also adding that she had yet to read a scathing letter penned to council, by Mayosi’s sister, Ncumisa.
Mayosi was the Dean in the Faculty of Health Sciences at UCT who died by suicide in 2018 after battling depression for two years and experiencing animosity from his colleagues and students.
“I didn’t tweet that, I have people who manage my social media account, he didn’t introduce the name of Professor Mayosi, the person who had tweeted before said we are worried about you, we know what happened to Mayosi and we don’t want it to happen to you,” Phakeng said.
She said those who did not believe that her social media account was run by other people, could check with the university’s Human Resources exclusive director.
“They know that I am in Miami. The people who are managing my account change the location and I only have access to Instagram.
“If you see my accounts with location you should know that it is not me but the person who manages them,” she said.
Phakeng said she doesn’t want to judge the tweets but agrees that they were insensitive.
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