THOHOYANDOU - Judge Yvonne Mokgoro of the Constitutional Court of South Africa was elected Chairperson of the Council of the University of Venda for Science and Technology (Univen) on April 11.

Judge Mokgoro is also Chairperson of the South African Law Commission. She replaces the former Chairperson of the Univen Council, Professor Barney Pityana, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of South Africa (UNISA). Mokgoro, a prominent judge in South Africa, has a wealth of experience in the legal profession and as an academic. Before joining the Constitutional Court, she served as a Professor of Law at the University of the Western Cape. She then moved to the Centre for Constitutional Analysis at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). She holds two LLM degrees, one from the University of North West and one from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as honorary LLD degrees from three universities. She is also an honorary Professor of Law at the University of Cape Town.

With her credentials, wealth of knowledge and experience on higher education matters, Judge Mokgoro is expected to move Univen forward in its endeavour to perfect its role at this critical time.

"The University is embarking on a process of developing a new strategic plan which will be informed by the University's new mandate. The Mandate, a result of the outcome of the Higher Education restructuring process, designating Univen as a comprehensive institution, also requires that the institution should introduce Technikon type programmes," explains Ms Yvonne Mogadime, Executive Director: Department of Communication, Marketing and International Relations. Professor Muxe Nkondo, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Univen paid tribute to the former Chairperson of Council, Professor Pityana and welcomed the new Chairperson.

"For us to have attracted a person of Judge Mokgoro's calibre to serve on our Council as Chairperson is a true indication that we are indeed a national University of note," said Professor Nkondo.