Quiet, calm, steady and authoritative and immensely comforting and supportive as he fulfilled his role and his responsibility with aplomb.  This was how Prof Mandla Makhanya, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Unisa, described Unisa Chancellor Judge Bernard Ngoepe at a farewell dinner to honour his chancellorship on 6 December 2016.

Outgoing Unisa Chancellor Judge Bernard Ngoepe listens attentively as speaker after speaker shared their memories of him during a farewell dinner at the university.

Unisa staff members showered Ngoepe with kind words and love as they bid farewell to the retired judge, a sign that revealed a solid bond that developed throughout his years of service at the university.

The moving dress code of many in attendance, including both retired and sitting judges of the North Gauteng High Court, was a magnificent reflection that made the farewell dinner a prestigious event worth remembering for years to come.

Makhanya said Ngoepe was a man of immense integrity and a seasoned veteran of chancellorship, well versed in the affairs of the university. He praised him for holding the university together during turbulent moments, saying he was a bastion of strength and certainty in a very uncertain time.

“Judge Ngoepe is a man who is prepared to “step into the breach” at very short notice, where others have left us in the lurch or where circumstances have caused a change of plan,” he said.

A simple ‘thank you’ holds a myriad memories, said Makhanya. He added that words were inadequate to express Unisa’s gratitude to the former chancellor. “No matter how eloquent or fulsome, words cannot say to you, Judge Ngoepe, that you are in our hearts and in our lives forever. No words will express our admiration for the fact that even during your own times of tragic personal circumstance you never neglected this university or your duties,” he explained.

The audience were kept entertained by popular local musicians, with a classic jazz, a genre which, apparently, the Chancellor cherishes in his spare time.

Dolly Mokgatle, Chairperson of the School of Business Leadership Board (SBL), who spoke on behalf of the Chairperson of the Unisa Council, hailed the Chancellor as the epitome of personal and professional integrity, describing him as a man who never used a title to brag but to honour its obligations with distinction.

“Judge Bernard Ngoepe is one such man. He has served this university for a long, long period of time. He has always been an oasis of calm, thoughtful and measured in word and deed throughout the very dramatic changes that have taken place at Unisa and in the sector over the past decade and more. He has understood precisely what is required of this position and he has exceeded those requirements with elegance and intellectual authority that have engendered the respect of all with whom he has engaged,” she told the fully packed hall.

Mokgatle added that Judge Ngoepe had been a rock that has steadied and guided Unisa through the many chapters of its existence, a man to look up to for guidance and wisdom in the darkest hour and challenging times.

“Mr Chancellor, you leave us with an impeccable legacy and for that we will always be truly grateful. We wish you well in your future endeavours and we know that you will remain a friend to and ambassador for Unisa in the years ahead,” she concluded.

In his farewell speech, the outgoing Chancellor Judge Bernard Ngoepe, thanked the university, and wished his successors the best. It is no doubt that judge Ngoepe leaves an indelible mark behind.

*By Percy Mthombeni

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