Naledi Pandor has officially been installed as the fourth chancellor of Nelson Mandela University (NMU), in a ceremony held at the South Campus on Wednesday afternoon, attended by students, dignitaries and various stakeholders.
Pandor began her four-year tenure on April 1, taking over from outgoing chancellor Dr Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi.
A distinguished scholar, seasoned public servant and respected global servant, Pandor said she is ready to share her wealth of experience in academia, governance and international relations.
“I wish to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to the entire university community for the esteemed honour you have given my family and I, by selecting me to serve as chancellor at NMU, following in the footsteps of the excellent leadership given by our former chancellor,” said Pandor.
“It is a welcome pleasure to return to the academic sector and to have the opportunity to once more immerse myself in what I call the sane, cooling embrace of intellectual rigour.
“This university, which has become one of our largest and most successful comprehensive universities, came into being in the period in which I served as minister of education.”
We understand leadership as sitting down. We understand leadership as answering the calling that is larger than all of us,
— Naledi Pandor
Pandor also reflected on the urgent need to retain Africa’s talent and strengthen the continent’s role in global affairs.
She warned against complacency and emphasised the responsibility of institutions to create environments where dignity, inclusion and opportunity are upheld.
“We should not be complacent about Africa lagging behind. The talent we nurture in these great halls is not meant to be wasted.
“If we fail to develop our continent into an effective participant in international affairs, our young bright minds will leave and create progress elsewhere. We want them to contribute here.
“Our commitment must also include nurturing an institution in which all enjoy respect and dignity, where the values of our Constitution are lived through respect for women and girls, for every worker, and for the dignity of all,” she said.
Prof Sibongile Muthwa, vice-chancellor of NMU, emphasised the university’s enduring commitment to society and openness to Pandor’s leadership.
Pandor began as a teacher and lecturer before entering public service in 1994, going on to hold key ministerial roles including education, science & technology, higher education & training, home affairs, and international relations & cooperation.
Her academic credentials include master’s degrees from the University of London and Stellenbosch University, as well as a PhD in education from the University of Pretoria. She has also received multiple honorary doctorates and serves as an honorary professor in education.
I assume this significant role with the hope and trust that we will honour the privilege of his name by living the legacy he bequeathed to all of us by being people who make good trouble.
— Pandor
“I can only commit to the chancellor, in the presence of this congregation, that we are going to continue to do what we have always done, to put our university on a strong footing as a university in service of society,” said Muthwa.
“I can only commit that we will not disappoint because we understand leadership as stewardship. We understand leadership as sitting down. We understand leadership as answering the calling that is larger than all of us.”
Pandor concluded her installation ceremony with reflections on the enduring ideals of freedom, democracy and the legacy of former president Nelson Mandela. She urged the university community to honour these values through action and commitment.
“Freedom and democracy were never mere slogans for President Mandela; they were ideals to strive for. I assume this significant role with the hope and trust that we will honour the privilege of his name by living the legacy he bequeathed to all of us by being people who make good trouble,” said Pandor.
“We owe a legacy to the founders of our democracy by being hardworking, quality students, academics, administrators, university leaders and leaders of society.
“I thank you most sincerely for the confidence placed in me.”
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