Chronicle Editor
ZIMBABWE-born University of Pretoria’s vice-chancellor and principal, Professor Tawana Kupe, has resigned.
According to South African media reports, Prof Kupe who was appointed in 2019, was scheduled to end his term in January next year. He will leave the post next month.
The university said the council would immediately initiate the process of finding a suitable successor.
The university council made the sudden announcement of Prof Kupe’s resignation on Tuesday morning.
It added that Prof Kupe had resigned from his position with effect from July 31.
Council chairperson Kuseni Dlamini said: “We express our gratitude to Prof Kupe for his contributions throughout his tenure.”
Dlamini added that the council would immediately initiate the process of finding a suitable successor to lead the institution.
“We are committed to conducting a comprehensive search to identify a suitably qualified individual who will lead the university into the future,” he said.
“Appropriate interim arrangements that will help facilitate the smooth functioning of the institution will be put in place. An interim vice-chancellor and principal will be appointed in due course.”
In an internal email sent to staff and students on Tuesday morning, Dlamini said:
“We all remain committed to upholding the university’s mission, values and long-term objectives and will work tirelessly to maintain our momentum,” he wrote.
Prof Kupe was appointed as vice-chancellor in January 2019.
He holds BA Honours and Master’s degrees in English from the University of Zimbabwe, as well as a DPhil in Media Studies from the University of Oslo in Norway.–News24
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