The ANC political school’s board has cocked a snook at party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula’s declaration that ex-Gauteng premier David Makhura should take over as principal from Dr David Masondo as principal of the OR Tambo School of Leadership. Former head, David Masondo resigned on Monday.
Last October, Mbalula announced that Masondo, also deputy finance minister, would be removed from the post and Makhura would take over the reins. He added at the time that Masondo’s replacement was for alignment reasons and Makhura was expected to contribute his skills as a full-time deployee and head of political education.
Yesterday ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengi-Motsiri said Makhura was appointed by the national executive committee and the decision still stands.
But on Tuesday, after Masondo voluntarily stepped down, the OR Tambo School of Leadership directors instead appointed the institution’s chief operation officer, Frans Matlala, to serve in an acting capacity until an open recruitment process was conducted to make a permanent appointment.
“The OR Tambo School of Leadership board will immediately commence with the due and transparent process of appointing a new principal,” according to a statement issued by the school’s board, headed by former president Kgalema Motlanthe.
Mbalula had engineered Masondo’s removal after a fallout between them, which was precipitated by an event late last year, when the school invited Zimbabwean academic, author and publisher Dr Ibbo Mandaza.
Mandaza, a fervent Zanu-PF critic, was invited to headline the debate titled, “The State of Democracy in the SADC Region: A Reflection on the National Elections of Zimbabwe”.
This did not sit well with Mbalula, who demanded the cancellation of the event. As Sunday World reported then, Mbalula was prepared to take extreme measures if the school did not cancel the academic dialogue on Zimbabwean elections, but Masondo resisted Mbalula’s “power trip”. The event was ultimately postponed.
Thanking Masondo, the board said the respected intellectual had played a pivotal role in shaping the institution’s ethos and intellectual direction during his five-year tenure.
“His unwavering commitment to fostering excellence, integrity, and ethical leadership among the staff members of the school, the students, and other key stakeholders has left an indelible mark on the OR Tambo School of Leadership community,” the board said.
Among his achievements, the board counted as milestones the offering of an introduction to political studies, a free introductory course offered to the public, ANC members, and the broader mass democratic movement.
“To date, at least 55 000 beneficiaries have enrolled and completed the course.”
The school has developed eight of the 13 strategic courses that it has started rolling out to public representatives, including members of the national assembly and provincial legislatures, read the statement.
The board also said Masondo led induction workshops for the ANC legislators and started a book club for the OR Tambo School of Leadership. Additionally, the school published Umrabulo, a thematic political education journal that became an initiative with
weekly discussions on national and global issues.
Masondo also launched the Ruth First Leadership Development Programme, a flagship programme to equip youth with progressive tools for analysing society.
Additionally, the school has established long-term partnerships with the University of Johannesburg, the University of South Africa Enterprise, the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, the Friederich Ebert Stiftung, the British High Commission, the Harry Gwala Foundation, and the Julius Nyerere School of Leadership.
The school has received annual clean audits since its inception in 2019, and has a positive bank balance, which means it can meet its obligations.
“This is reflective of the practice of good governance and ethical leadership that Masondo has instilled and left as a legacy in the management of the school,” said the board.
Motlanthe said: “Dr Masondo, we thank you for your invaluable commitment and contribution to building the OR Tambo School of Leadership and your broad contribution to political education. We wish you well in your other key responsibilities and future endeavours.”
