Deputy-President Kgalema Motlanthe has been appointed as the University of Venda’s new chancellor with effect from January 1.
He succeeds businessman Cyril Ramaphosa, who has served two terms in the position.
The university’s vice-chancellor and principal, Prof Peter Mbati, says it is an honour to have a man with the stature of Motlanthe at the helm of Univen. “We look forward to his leadership and guidance in the years to come. His involvement with the university will certainly stand us in good stead,” says Mbati.
Over the last three years, the University of Venda has embarked on a restructuring and recovery process and has taken up its responsibility to be an important catalyst in the growth and development of Limpopo. “More than R400 million has been allocated by the Department of Higher Education and Training to improve both infrastructure and teaching models and programmes to become a quality-driven, financially sustainable, rural-based comprehensive university,” says Mbati.
“This involves the re-engineering of our core business, including the development of a new qualifications structure and programme profile to enable us to be at the centre of tertiary education for rural and regional development in Southern Africa. Apart from completed refurbishments to student residences, infrastructural extensions include a new lecture hall complex, a new Life Sciences and Chemistry block, an extension to the environmental sciences building, a new student administration building and extensions and refurbishment to the library. We are committed to working with all stakeholders to serve as an engine that drives the growth of our province. A successful university model is one in which the academic programmes and research activities are in harmony with the developmental needs of the community,” he said.
Motlanthe was appointed deputy-president in May 2009. Before that, he was President for a few months. He has been deputy-president of the African National Congress since December 2007 and was its secretary-general from 1997 to 2007.
Motlanthe was involved in establishing the JB Marks Educational Trust, which provides bursaries to mine workers and their dependants as well as in establishing the Trade Union School, the Elijah Barayi Memorial Training Centre.