In an effort to sustain the reputable profile of outgoing University of South Africa (Unisa) chancellor Judge Bernard Ngoepe, who served the university for 15 years before stepping down this week, Unisa has appointed former South African President Thabo Mbeki its new chancellor.

In a media release published Friday, the university noted that, during the “rigorous process” of selecting and appointing a new chancellor, it had carefully considered attributes and qualities that resonated with its vision and mission, as articulated in Unisa’s Strategy Vision 2030 to become ‘The African University Shaping Futures in the Service of Humanity’.

Considering the nearly six decades Mbeki has been involved in various leadership roles in the anti-apartheid liberation struggle, as well as post-apartheid nation-building, the university considers Mbeki to be “an outstanding African intellectual giant and the most recognisable twenty-first-century proponent of the African Renaissance”.

Mbeki continues to be involved in a range of conflict-resolution and development initiatives in Africa. 

“As we welcome [former] President Mbeki as our new chancellor, we are excited about the value his stature and intellectual standing will add to our university at the time where the prospects of the ‘Africa Rising’ narrative seem to be realistic enough for the continent to claim its prominent place in the global community,” said Unisa principal and vice-chancellor Professor Mandla Makhanya.

Unisa lauded the services of Ngoepe, who “selflessly served with integrity, dignity and honour in a manner that enhanced Unisa’s profile and reputation even during the difficult times of university mergers”.