The South African Medical Association (Sama) is certain that Professor Mosa Moshabela’s leadership will usher in a new era of brilliance, innovation, and meaningful contributions at one of the country’s premier academic institutions.
This comes after Moshabela was appointed the 11th vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT).
He will resume his duties at the beginning of October.
Moshabela will take over as vice-chancellor after Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng’s early retirement on March 3, 2023.
According to Sama, Moshabela, who is currently the deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, has a distinguished career and is a respected scholar.
Recruitment process
“As a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, he has been the recipient of multiple awards, and among others, he was awarded the PHILA Annual Award in 2022 by the Public Health Association of South Africa and a Ministerial Special Covid-19 Award in 2020-2021 for Covid-19 Science Communication and Public Engagement,” Sama said.
“A medical doctor by profession, Sama looks forward to working with him and the UCT team.”
Moshabela accepted the offer to become UCT’s vice-chancellor after a thorough and consultative six-month recruitment and selection process.
UCT chair of council, Norman Arendse (SC), said throughout the recruitment and selection process, Moshabela demonstrated deep knowledge and an appreciation of the challenges the UCT vice-chancellor may encounter.
“He showed a sincere commitment to agile, transformative, and values-based leadership.
“The selection committee believes that Professor Moshabela is the best candidate for such a time as this in UCT’s history and that he will work with conviction and vision to ensure UCT’s sustainability into and beyond 2030.”
Moshabela’s academic prowess
He previously worked at Washington and Columbia universities in the US, as well as South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand.
He also serves as chairperson of the board of the country’s National Research Foundation and is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa.
Moshabela obtained an MBChB from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2001, an MMed in family medicine from Medunsa, the Medical University of South Africa (now Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University) in 2009, a PhD in public health from Wits University in 2012, and an MSc in demography and health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2017.
