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- UCT's vice-chancellor, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, has been given time off.
- Council chairperson Babalwa Ngonyama announced last week that Phakeng would be placed on sick leave.
- Phakeng will return to office when her annual leave ends on 9 January 2023.
The University of Cape Town (UCT) council has announced that the university's vice-chancellor, Mamokgethi Phakeng, will be given more time off after being discharged from hospital last Friday.
Council chairperson Babalwa Ngonyama announced last week that Phakeng would be placed on sick leave, following what Ngonyama called a "stressful" time.
News24 understands Phakeng was fuming at Ngonyama mentioning the matter of stress in a media statement, to announce Phakeng's absence from campus.
Shortly after being admitted to hospital, Phakeng posted a video on Twitter showing her eating a chocolate ice cream in a hospital bed and laughing when the person recording the video asked her about stress.
In a statement on Monday evening, Ngonyama said: "At the time of hospitalisation, while acting precautionarily and under what were then uncertain circumstances, council agreed to grant Professor Phakeng some additional time off ahead of her annual leave period, which was scheduled to commence from Friday, 16 December."
READ | UCT crisis: Council deposes deputy chair, confirms Mpati panel
Ngonyama said she had a "cordial" in-person engagement with Phakeng, who agreed to take up the offer of time off for the rest of the week, leading up to her scheduled annual leave.
"In accordance with the decision taken by council on Tuesday, 6 December, Professor Elelwani Ramugondo, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Transformation, Student Affairs and Social Responsiveness, will continue to serve as acting Vice-Chancellor," she said.
Phakeng will return to office when her annual leave ends on 9 January 2023.
The announcement comes after a special council meeting late on Friday.
The university council confirmed the appointment of retired Supreme Court of Appeal president Judge Lex Mpati to head a panel to investigate allegations of mismanagement against Phakeng and Ngonyama.
The two are accused of misleading the senate and council about the true reasons for the early exit of deputy vice-chancellor for teaching and learning, Lis Lange.
According to information obtained by News24, the panel's deadline to investigate the allegations against Phakeng and Ngonyama was extended from 31 December to the end of March.
