After nearly 150 years, Unisa gets first female principal
“This appointment is further testimony of the commitment of council to the transformation project it introduced and drove relentlessly in the university over the years,''- Unisa spokesperson.
Professor Puleng LenkaBula has made history by becoming the first female principal and vice-chancellor of the University of South Africa (Unisa) since its establishment in 1873.
During the special sitting of the Unisa council on Thursday, LenkaBula was announced as the new vice-chancellor, bringing an end to a search of new VC that started earlier this year.
“This appointment is further testimony of the commitment of council to the transformation project it introduced and drove relentlessly in the university over the years; as well as ensuring that its workforce is alive to and reflective of the demographics of the country and the gender empowerment wave sweeping the country,’’ said Unisa spokesperson Thomas Huma.
LenkaBula holds a doctorate in ethics of politics, economy and ecology (social ethics) from Unisa.
She also obtained a Master’s in theological studies with specialisation in ethics (MTs-Ethics) from St Andrew’s College in Saskatoon – Saskatchewan, Canada.
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LenkaBula has served in management positions at various institutions.
She was the dean of student affairs at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), before taking up the position of vice-rector: institutional change, student affairs, and community engagement at the University of the Free State (UFS) in 2018.
Chairperson of the Unisa council Sakhi Simelane said: “The appointment was a good sign for the future of the university as we intensify our endeavour to move towards a fully-fledged open distance and e-learning dispensation and to solidify our stature as a truly African university in the service of humanity.
“We have appointed the right calibre of leader; who is student-centred and shares our institutional vision on decoloniality and transformation, knowledge-production, innovation and advancing the socio-economic development of South Africa, Africa and the world, in particular for the benefit of Africa,’’ he said.
He said that the council would provide her with the necessary support to ensure that she succeeded in taking the university’s vision of transformation forward.
LenkaBula will take office from 1 January 2021, taking over from Professor Mandla Makhanya, who has been the head since 2011.
Her appointment has since been endorsed by several academics.
Congratulations to Prof Puleng @LenkaBula on being appointed the first woman Vice Chancellor of Unisa. This is brilliant! pic.twitter.com/KqRhSuQV2z
— FabAcademic (@FabAcademic) November 6, 2020
Congratulations Prof @LenkaBula – we wish you a great, transformative, and decolonizing time as UNISA VC #BlackWomanPower pic.twitter.com/Ao88rNbKBL
— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) November 6, 2020
A bit more about LenkaBula:
– Currently the vice-rector at the University of the Free State.
– She was the dean of students at Wits University, where she was a member of the vice-chancellor’s office and the senior executive team.
– She also previously held management positions at different institutions, including at Unisa where she had a successful stint as dean of students.
– LenkaBula is also an internationally revered scholar who has published widely and serves as a board member on local ecumenical and academic formations, including the Council for the Development of Social Sciences Research in Africa.
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