(AGENPARL) – Thu 20 March 2025 MEDIA RELEASE FROM WITS UNIVERSITY
Thursday, 20 March 2025
For immediate release
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi appointed to serve as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University for a second term
The Council of the University of the Witwatersrand unanimously agreed to appoint Professor Zeblon Vilakazi for a second and final term of five years from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030. This follows a comprehensive consultation process with various constituencies that make up the Wits community.
“On behalf of Council, we would like to congratulate Professor Vilakazi on his appointment, and we are confident that under his leadership, Wits will grow from strength to strength over the next five years,” says Mr Isaac Shongwe, Chairperson of the Wits University Council.
This appointment follows a successful first term, during which Prof. Vilakazi strategically positioned Wits in the national and global higher education landscape through both his ‘moonshot’ vision and the imperatives outlined in the Wits 2022 vision and the Wits 2033 Strategic Framework, which has resulted in the positive performance of the institution.
“I am honoured and grateful to the University community for the confidence and trust that they have placed in me to continue to lead this great institution, a national treasure, that makes a real difference in society,” says Prof. Zeblon Vilakazi. “Over the next few years, we will continue to work towards our 2033 goals, to invest in the academic project, to create an environment that fosters innovation, and to ensure the wellbeing of staff, students, and members of the Wits community.”
The Next Five Years
The Vice-Chancellor and Principal will steward the Senior Executive Team and in turn, the broader Wits community, to focus on the following areas over the next five years:
* the overall financial sustainability and longevity of Wits including building a larger endowment fund, whilst reducing student debt,
* continue working with the City and partners to re-imagine the Braamfontein Precinct to create a safer, vibrant environment for all,
* developing closer relationships with key stakeholders, including major South African corporations, industry, government, and partners,
* leading the sector through enhanced participation in national higher education policy discussions and think tanks,
* pioneering research and innovation across disciplines in order to address both local and global challenges, including advancing knowledge in the area of artificial intelligence and quantum technologies,
* attracting top academic achievers and growing a pipeline of distinguished and emerging professors in order to improve the staff student ratio,
* balancing external achievements with internal institutional needs, and engaging in multiway communication with students and staff, and
* ensuring good governance, accountability and ethical leadership, implementing workload management strategies and thinking of succession planning to ensure leadership continuity.
“Wits University is well-placed to address the key challenges of the 21st Century, through creating new knowledge and developing the high level skills needed to advance our economy,” says Shongwe. “Together with our partners in the public and private sectors, civil society, our donors and alumni, and staff and students, can undoubtedly impact on our society, for good.”
The last five years
During his first term, Prof. Vilakazi together with his Senior Executive Team ably led the University through the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, stewarded the development of the Wits 2033 Strategic Framework, and built a strong and coherent Senior Executive Team, one of the most dynamic in the sector. He has also advised on and supported the development of the Wits Innovation Strategy, the establishment of the Wits Innovation Centre, as well as the development of the Teaching and Learning Plan.
The Vice-Chancellor’s role in fundraising has enabled the University to compete for resources both globally and locally in an environment that is becoming increasingly constrained. Under his leadership, Wits exceeded its R3 billion centenary campaign target, with major infrastructure projects receiving significant funding for implementation. This includes the opening of the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome, breaking ground on the new Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex, the launch of the Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Development Institute, the opening of the Roy McAlpine Burns Unit at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, and a major donation to fund students through the naming of the Margo Steele School of Accountancy. The realisation of the Frankenwald development in the last year has also contributed towards growing the University’s endowment.
Through his engagement with donors, alumni and Wits’ global offices and partners, the Vice-Chancellor has ensured that the narrative around Wits is a positive one. His personal stature as an expert in the field of nuclear physics has also enhanced the Wits brand, as has his Fellowship of the Royal Society of London.
The Vice-Chancellor also spearheaded Wits’ involvement in several initiatives including the JoziMyJozi initiative to ensure that Braamfontein and its surrounds is a safer environment for staff and students to work, live and play.
ENDS
Link: Council unanimously approves Vilakazi’s second term
For media enquiries:
Tiisang Monatisa
Communications Officer, Wits University