Big moves for bigwigs

Prof  Piet Naude

The times they are a changin' …

The words of Bob Dylan’s song are pretty topical for many at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University as we anticipate what the future might bring with the departure of two of the university’s three deputy vice-chancellors.

Today, we say tot siens to Prof Piet Naude, who has served the university for 20-plus years most recently as head of Academic Affair, and in November it will hamba kahle to Prof Thoko Mayekiso, who champion our Research and Engagement.

Both are moving on to bigger job responsibilities – Prof Piet as Director of the Stellenbosch University Business School as of 1 September and Prof Thoko as Vice-Chancellor of the new Mpumalanga University. Yes, big moves for our bigwigs.

Prof Thoko Mayekiso

And then there’s our Dean of Students Khaya Matiso. He’s been seconded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Training to take charge of the dysfunctional PE College with the FET sector.

We wish them every success for the future.

And their successors too …

They are:

· Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC): Research and Engagement Prof Andrew Leitch (who is the Dean of Science)

· Acting DVC: Academic Affairs: Prof Denise Zinn (who is the Dean of Education)

· Acting Dean of Student: Mxolisi Ncapyi

· Acting Dean of Education: Prof Nonnie Botha

· Acting Dean of Science: incumbent not yet named

And so the times they are a changing because whenever someone leaves or arrives things do change, if only marginally. But they do change, and change is never a bad thing, is it?

If you think it is, that change is uncomfortable, unnecessary or downright inconvenient, perhaps you’ll find comfort in the oft-quoted paradox of “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.