Khoza appointed as UKZN’s fourth chancellor
THE University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) hosted the inauguration of Dr Reul Jethro Khoza yesterday at its Westville campus.
He is the university’s 4th chancellor. Khoza is an esteemed academic whose expertise is also recognised internationally.
He is the current chairperson of Assupol Holdings and the Assupol Insurance company and chairperson of Discovery Bank. He is also the president of the Institute of Directors in SA.
Khoza is said to be a man of many gifts and talents as he is also a musician and farmer among other things.
UKZN’s vicechancellor and principal Professor Nana Poku said he was certain that Khoza was going to bring change and uplift the institution to higher levels. He said the appointment of Khoza was the change the institution needed.
He highlighted that success was rather impossible without small adjustments.
“It is against this background of renewal and change that we eagerly embrace Dr Khoza as our chancellor.”
KZN Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu said Khoza was one of the leading intellectuals in the continent and that he was confident that under his leadership more intellectuals were going to be produced, the ones who will strategise and bring solutions to the ground challenges that the country faces to create a better future.
“We want this institution to remain a sector for knowledge and it is no doubt that it will remain so,” said Mshengu.
Khoza said: “We live in a democracy in which academic excellence could thrive with the right dedication. We have a duty to ensure an efficient and effective administration and organisational support to enable academia to focus on academic pursuit. It behoves us to encourage and insist on application by academic staff and students towards world-class performance and delivery. The mere mention of UKZN should conjure up images of excellence akin to those of the Ivy League Universities in the USA. “We should stop at nothing in realising this.”
UKZN’s Student Representative Council president, Malusi Zuma, said they welcomed Khoza with warm arms as the SRC.