The University of Cape Town has broken its silence on a settlement deal reached with outgoing vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng.
Earlier this week, News24 reported that Phakeng would take an early retirement package from UCT after the vice-chancellor and university council reached an exit settlement deal on Tuesday night (21 February).
It was reported that Phakeng would be paid more than R12 million as part of an early retirement package.
The expectation was that the UCT council would issue a formal statement on the developments on Wednesday, however, after a lengthy internal deliberation, UCT council chair Babalwa Ngonyama sent out a “private and confidential” internal memorandum to the executive, senate, staff and students on Friday evening (24 February), with the request to keep the communique confidential.
People’s Post has seen a copy of the memorandum. In it, Ngonyama said that the university had reached an agreement with Phakeng, which requires any public announcements and press statements to be mutually agreed to between Phakeng and the university.
“Unfortunately, despite our best endeavours, we have not been able to reach an agreement as yet and as such, no public statement can be issued regarding Professor Phakeng’s departure and we urge you to keep this communication confidential,” Babalwa Ngonyama, Chair of UCT Council wrote in the memorandum.
The lucrative golden handshake comes after a UCT council meeting held on Thursday 9 February “to discuss issues around the vice-chancellor and the instability of the executive team and took certain resolutions”.
In October last year, the UCT council made the decision to establish an independent panel, headed by retired Supreme Court of Appeal President Judge Lex Mpati, to investigate complaints and a formal grievance against Phakeng.
At the time, Pheladi Gwangwa, deputy chair of the council, said that the investigation would focus on the circumstances related to the departure of a former UCT Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, Lis Lange, as well as matters related to executive relationships and resignations within and beyond the UCT executive management team.
Lange left the university in May last year.
At a UCT council meeting held a few months later, allegations surfaced that Phakeng and Ngonyama had lied about the true reasons for Lange’s departure.
In Friday’s memorandum, Ngonyama said that, in respect of the independent investigation panel, the council had resolved that the council would “review the current constitution and mandate of the panel in order to determine an appropriate form for the panel”.
“Which would enable it to consider and investigate issues of governance that have affected and are affecting the university – without specifically considering or investigating the conduct of the vice-chancellor,” Ngonyama said.
News24 reported that Phakeng’s last day as university head would be Friday 3 March.
In the memorandum, Ngonyama said the council was giving urgent attention to the matter of appointing an interim vice-chancellor to hold office until such time that a new vice-chancellor is appointed.
“Council will consult the Senate and Institutional Forum in this regard,” she said.
