Mamokgethi Phakeng

Rosina Mamokgethi Phakeng (née Mmutlana, born 1 November 1966) is a South African professor of mathematics education who in 2018 became a vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT).

She has been the vice principal of research and innovation, at the University of South Africa and acting executive dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at UNISA.

Phakeng started school in 1972 at Ikageleng Primary in Marapyane village and then Ikageng Primary in Ga-Rankuwa.

She attended Tsela-tshweu higher primary; Tswelelang Higher Primary; Thuto-Thebe Middle School; Odi High School and Hebron.

She completed her matric with University Exemption in 1983 (Grade 12) in the village of Hebron's College of Education.

Phakeng was married to Richard Setati for 19 years (1988–2007) and they had one son, Tsholofelo who was born in 1990.

Phakeng achieved a Bachelor of Education in mathematics education at the University of North-West, and a M.Ed in mathematics education at the University of the Witwatersrand, and in 2002 became the first black female South African to obtain a PhD in mathematics education.

In September 2022, Phakeng won the first Africa Education Medal for her commitment to promoting education in Africa, particularly for her research on language practices in multilingual mathematics classrooms.

Phakeng has won awards for excellence in service.

These honors include:

In 2012, she married Madimetja Lucky Phakeng, thereby adding the appendage "Phakeng" to her surname.

Lucky Phakeng is an advocate currently heading the Takeover Regulation Panel.

Shortly after being appointed to the position as vice-chancellor of UCT allegations questioning Phakeng's academic credentials emerged which were refuted as being part of a smear campaign against her.

On 22 February 2023 it was reported by News24 that Phakeng would take early retirement from her position as vice-chancellor of UCT following the appointment of an independent panel to investigate allegations of mismanagement and abuse of power.

During her time at UCT a number of controversial social media statements have been made via Phakeng's Twitter account.

In 2018 she was an invited speaker at the International Congresses of Mathematicians.

In February 2023 it was announced that she would leave her position as vice-chancellor of UCT and take early retirement.

She was succeeded by Professor Daya Reddy on 13 March 2023

Phakeng was born in Eastwood, Pretoria, to Frank and Wendy Mmutlana (née Thipe).

Her mother went back to school after having her three children to complete Form 3 as entry to gaining a Primary Teachers Certificate to practice as a teacher.

Her father was one of the first black radio announcers at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

In 2018 Phakeng controversially congratulated a UCT student activist, Masixole Mlandu, who notably ended his undergraduate paper with the racially divisive slogan "One Settler, One Bullet."

Phakeng later stated she regretted the divisive incident, did not see the statement before making the congratulatory statement, would never support calls for violence, and was instead trying to congratulate a student on a significant personal academic milestone.

Phakeng's tenure as vice-chancellor of UCT was controversial with accusations by university academics and the university's ombud that she allowed for the emergence of a culture of fear, secrecy, racialisation, unfair treatment and bullying within the university that resulted in the departure of numerous academics.

The ombud and the university's former deputy council chair accused Phakeng of covering up accusations and findings against her whilst the university's former deputy vice-chancellor for teaching and learning accused her of having deliberately misled university's Senate.

In a Senate vote on the matter Phakeng controversially cast a deciding vote against an independent investigation into her own conduct, thereby possibly breaching university conflict of interest rules.

Phakeng's supporters, including the Economic Freedom Fighters, alleged that she was being targeted by groups resistant to racial transformation of the university.

UCT stated that the accusations against Phakeng contained within a 2022 Daily Maverick article on the matter were "incorrect, misleading and unethical"; the Daily Maverick disputed UCT's criticisms of their article.

An independent panel, chaired by retired judge Lex Mpati, featuring fellow retired judge Azhar Cachalia, public sector governance expert Trish Hanekom and Wits transformation head Bernadette Johnson investigated governance issues at the University of Cape Town (UCT), triggered by undisclosed events leading to Associate Professor Lis Lange's departure and a subsequent Non-Disclosure Agreement.

The probe was initiated amid the extension of Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng's term, highlighting concerns over executive committee stability and unexplained senior resignations.

The Council revised the investigation's scope following VC Phakeng's agreed exit, broadening the inquiry to address broader governance failures and their impact on executive resignations from January 2018 to December 2022, with a view towards recommending future preventive strategies.

The Panel implicated former VC Phakeng in several breaches of law and policy, including unlawful contract terminations, defamatory behaviour, conflicts of interest, and unprofessional conduct.

Additionally, she engaged in prohibited activities such as issuing threats, employing ethnic slurs, and sharing racially offensive content on social media.

Investigations revealed that the actions of Mamokgethi Phakeng and the Chair of Council, Ms Babalwa Ngonyama, were central to the resignation of several senior UCT officials: