Thabo Mbeki appointed Chancellor of Unisa

This comes after Judge Bernard Ngoepe, who served as Unisa's chancellor with distinction for fifteen years, announced that he is stepping down.

Unisa spokesperson Tommy Huma says they university carefully considered attributes and qualities that resonated with its vision and mission in selecting and appointing a new chancellor

"Unisa is in a process of transformation and it is repositioning itself as the African University and it already has a range of Africa-focused programmes as well as a solid footprint on the African continent. Thabo Mbeki is the foremost proponent of the African Renaissance and he is still involved in a range of conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction efforts," says Huma.

Huma says Unisa's partnership with the Thabo Mbeki Foundation is one of its flagship strategic relationships that have assisted in profiling the university globally and it has also led to the hosting of the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (TMALI), the launch of the Thabo Mbeki Presidential Library as well as partnership with the South African Democracy Education Trust (SADET). 

"As we welcome President Mbeki as our new Chancellor, we are excited about the value his stature and intellectual standing will add to our university at the time where the prospects of the Africa Rising Narrative seem to be realistic enough for the continent to claim its prominent place in the global community," says Unisa Principal and Vice Chancellor Professor Mandla Makhanya.