History in the making for Unisa and Prof. LenkaBula

In a move unprecedented since the establishment of the university 148 years ago, the Council of the University of South Africa appointed its first female Principal and Vice-Chancellor at the end of 2020. On 2 September 2021, LenkaBula will be officially inaugurated. Click here for an invitation to the virtual event.

The inauguration and investiture of LenkaBula is a herstorical moment for both Unisa and the country as she became the first womxn, the first black womxn, and only the third black person to be appointed as the head of Unisa in its more than 147 years of existence.

Prof Puleng LenkaBula, VC & Principal: Unisa

Sharing her sentiments about this moment in the history of the institution, LenkaBula says: “I’m appreciative of being appointed as the third Vice-Chancellor of Unisa post-1994 and the dawn of democracy of South Africa. I think it is an important HERstorical moment." She adds that this is particularly so because universities in South Africa have not had many womxn academics leading them. “The normative practice has often been finding leadership from male leaders,” she explains. “There is nothing wrong with men leading institutions, but there's something wrong if the leadership is fully and wholly masculine. The diversities of leadership are always important as they enable institutions to focus on various issues and to attend to both curriculum and co-curricular issues.”

 Explaining her vision as VC, LenkaBula says she intends to ensure that Unisa does not only become a centre of academic excellence, success, and opportunities for the marginalised, but also a lever of optimum and impactful participation in the global knowledge arena.

LenkaBula’s inauguration will be held under the theme: "Reclaiming Africa’s Intellectual Futures."

Watch Professor LenkaBula sharing her sentiments about her appointment and inauguration below:

*By Tshimangadzo Mphaphuli, Senior Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement