Image courtesy of the University of Cape Town

South Africa is known for breaking barriers. The recent appointment of Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng as the New Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT) is one of such historical strides.

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng’s appointment comes at a time when a number of institutions of higher learning show reluctance to appoint qualified and deserving African women in higher positions. The Nelson Mandela Museum is pleased with this appointment and strongly believes it has got nothing to do with her gender but more to do with the educational expertise and capabilities she armed herself with it. We do believe that her appointment in this position will inspire students from all walks of life and encourage students to focus on their studies for their personal growth and that of the state. We hope that she will continue where the outgoing Vice Chancellor Doctor Price left off and further come up with innovative strategies that will help UCT and South Africa to compete with global players. After all women have always held critical positions in African societies even though they were not visible. We would like to wish her all the success in this position.