Mark RH Kleinschmidt, candidate councillor Ward 60
I attended the first meeting of the UCT Council at the Bremner House Building on the campus in my capacity as the nominated representative for the City of Cape Town Council, replacing my predecessors Garreth Bloor and Owen Kinahan.
On my arrival at UCT, the tranquillity of the campus astounded me, and it was hard to believe that this iconic institution of higher learning was embroiled in much turbulence and upheaval earlier this year.
After the pleasantries and introductions by vice-chancellor Dr Max Price, the 30-member council engaged in the routine induction process, and thereafter commenced with the formal agenda.
The first item was the election of the executive committee office bearers, with biographies of nominees motivated and articulated by proposers.
The following office bearers were elected to the Council Executive Committee: Chair Sipho Pityana, a director of companies who has a strong record of involvement in business and academia; deputy chair Deborah Budlender, an independent research consultant; vice-chancellor (ex officio) Dr Max Price; member of senate Professor Bongani Mayosi (subject to his acceptance) and student representative Rorisang Moseli, current SRC chairperson.
Additional members are advocate Norman Arendse, a UCT alumni and prolific luminary in the legal profession; Professor Shirley Zinn, former human resources director of Standard Bank SA and Nedbank; and Dr Shuaib Manjra, a sports and occupational medicine physician and consultant.
The period of term of office of council members is four years, and we wish the council well in the myriad challenges facing UCT.
