South Africa: Inside Vice-Chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng's Messy Exit From UCT

Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp
UCT vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng poses with media during the 2019 South African State of the Nation Address at Parliament in Cape Town.
22 February 2023
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Rebecca Davis

At the eleventh hour, University of Cape Town Vice-Chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng jumped before she was pushed -- avoiding suspension by the UCT Council by coming to an agreement on a lucrative early retirement package.

University of Cape Town (UCT) Vice-Chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng will cease to perform her duties on 3 March 2023.

As first reported by News24 on Tuesday evening, an eleventh-hour termination agreement was reached between Phakeng and the UCT Council which saw Phakeng avoid the suspension the council had previously resolved on, amid the breakdown of negotiations between the parties.

The termination agreement states: "Prof Phakeng will take early retirement and cease to occupy the position of Vice-Chancellor of the university with effect 03 March 2023 and her Associate Professorship [in the UCT Education Department] will terminate with effect from 28 February 2024."

The period remaining on her academic contract, however, will be taken up by a 12-month sabbatical. As such, Phakeng's time at UCT will in effect end in less than a fortnight.

Generous pay package and benefits

Phakeng will receive a 12-month payout of her annual salary of R4,184,616, in addition to an "early retirement lump sum" of R8,369,232.

This amounts to a total payment package...

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