Professor R Ngcobo

Ever since I was a little boy, I knew that I would like to make a difference in the lives of others. Education to me was therefore not only a career, but a calling.

In my youth it was also one of the few avenues open to blacks to break the chains of manual labour and advance to a higher level of opportunity that enabled one to help others do likewise.

I have been blessed in being judged worthy of many positions of authority during my career that spans 36 years. I have served in various capacities from educator, deputy principal, inspector of schools (psychological services), deputy regional director, college of education rector, deputy vice-chancellor to vice-chancellor. In discharging these responsibilities my approach has always been to not go it alone but to surround myself with a team of peers capable to adding value to our endeavours. These teams frequently spanned colours, cultures and creeds and were the richer for it. This taught me to be open to other points of view and to value diversity for the alternatives it brings to the table.

While I have been discriminated against during our apartheid past I was fortunately able to put this behind me and, thus, was not burdened with negative feelings toward any sector of South African society. This, I believe, significantly contributed to my ability to forge individuals of divergent views and background into integrated teams.

I have been fortunate in leading high-performance teams both in my former position as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of Technikon Pretoria, and, finally, as interim Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). While certainly tough and taxing, the latter challenge proved the more rewarding for it and I personally believe that significant progress was made in my time at TUT to put it on the right track to achieving its vision of becoming the leading higher education institution in the country. I am thankful for the role I was able to play in this regard.

In 2006, I spent a short while at the Vaal University of Technology as Senior Director: Student Support Services where again I initiated a process of establishing a vibrant student support services directorate. I had the pleasure of once again working closer to the service delivery point where the students’ interests were being addressed. I did not spend enough time to be able evaluate the outcome of my very brief stint at VUT.I have the view that great things would follow had I stayed longer.

At the end of 2006 I joined the Durban University of Technology as Executive Director: Midlands Campus. Once again it is too early to tell what the impact of my activities is on the Midlands Campus.