ICONIC 2 By ZaNtsi

PROFESSOR PULENG LENKABULA BREAKING BARRIERS AND BRIDGING THE GAP TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE UNISA.

November 2020 was a historic month for South Africa, it was the month when Professor Puleng LenkaBula was appointed the first woman Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Africa (UNISA) after 147 years. This announcement came at just the right time when South Africa’s spirit needed a lift. It restored some faith in the system and gave young South African women and girls the hope that a woman in academia could reach such heights. It further illustrates UNISA’s commitment to changing the face of women in academia.

When asked about her appointment, she sentimentally recounts, “It came as a shock and surprise, but my heart was open to it. It made me realize that the Black girl’s dreams around leadership were important.” Her desire to motivate youth and young adults coming from underprivileged communities are what fuel Prof. LenkaBula’s love for higher education. She wants Africa’s sons and daughters to put their trust in education and the opportunities that it can bring. In the words of former President Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” She recognizes that each community needs individuals that will take their knowledge and reinvest it to change the footprint and plight of its people. Therefore, she considers her appointment to be an inspiration, obligation, and a calling.

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COVER STORY

The first woman leader at the helm of UNISA, an institution that boasts an international footprint, Professor Puleng LenkaBula.

PROFESSOR PULENG LENKABULA

It then is fitting that Prof. LenkaBula leads this chapter of transformation; her passion and understanding of higher education, together with her transformative spirit are going to be what propels her to success and take UNISA to new heights.

Her years of service and dedication to higher education have prepared her well for this next phase of her career. Prof. LenkaBula is not only a Professor of Ethics, but she has also held various positions across South African universities over the years. Some of these have been Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Change, Student Affairs, and Engaged Scholarship at the University of the Free State (UFS); Dean of Students at the University of Witwatersrand (WITS), and UNISA as the Dean of Students, Strategist & Director in the office of the Vice-Chancellor. She has also worked at the University of Toronto in Canada as a visiting professor.

With the blood of Queen Mmanthatisi coursing through her veins and words of influential women such as Phumla Qola, Amina Mama, and Mercy Oduyeye shaping her ideas. Prof. LenkaBula is a leader with a fighting spirit, a leader who activates inventive thinking, is committed to inclusivity, and is a determined changemaker.

She is well-versed on issues of transformation and doesn’t take a backseat when it comes actioning change. “I am not one to sit in an office, I like to get my hands dirty.” She believes that theorisations alone are futile, and that true leadership is that which doesn’t shy away from challenges.

One of Prof. LenkaBula’s most recent initiatives is closely linked to the commitment she has made to herself and her community at UNISA of driving inclusivity. Her first order of business and request to the UNISA Council was

to institute Feminism, Womanism, and Bosadi theorisations, together with an Institute of Social, Gender and Anti- Discrimination. Her aim is to create an institutional culture that enables both men and women, people living with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals to pursue their studies without fear of judgment. Unfortunately, South Africa’s past is complex and has painted higher education as an elitist luxury that can only be accessed by a few. Prof LenkaBula has made it her mission to change this belief and provide students of diverse backgrounds support that speaks to their challenges.

She further highlights, “Student support becomes important; universities cannot succeed without

PROFESSOR PULENG LENKABULA

their primary stakeholders – the students. If you look at your students as oppositions, you will not give them the best education but if you see them as citizens that you love and want them to thrive in the world, and in the areas that they pursue their studies in, then you make it possible for them to succeed”.

With the addition of the Gender, Social Justice and Anti-discrimination Institute at UNISA, the university looks to strengthen case management of GBV and anti-discrimination cases. It is also aiming to become a knowledge hub that can inform policy thinking and systems within the higher education sector, society, and international environment. The institute will be

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COVER STORY

“CHANGING THE FACE OF ACADEMIA, PROF. PULENG LENKABULA, THE FIRST WOMAN PRINCIPAL & VICE CHANCELLOR OF UNISA”

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a great extension to the existing strategies in place at the university that speak to the harsh reality of GBV. A Gender Institute that is focused on research and teaching work in this space is already operating.

UNISA goes to further support students by providing them with data during exam time so that no student is left behind due to this lack. Prof. LenkaBula’s vision and strategies look to include analytics that will help them as an institution to understand the student. Tracking and tracing will be incorporated to improve on their policies, internal legal systems and address the most pressing student issues.

South African universities need to move away from the revolving door policy but inspire their students to see beyond their environments. As part of her plan Prof. LenkaBula has identified about 10 areas of study that she would like to see offered by UNISA in the nearest future. Some of these are Marine Studies, Aviation and Aeronautical Studies, Automotive Studies, Energy Studies, Nano and

Biotech Studies, and Health Studies and Sciences. “We need visionary leadership that will not only gloss over such opportunities but have the wisdom to recognize that South Africa and the African continent as a whole need to move away from just being consumers,” she firmly shares. Creating an environment that is focused on the liberation of our people from the enslavement they have suffered through the years is what will see Africa thrive and grow through her own invention and innovation.

Prof. LenkaBula is a force to be reckoned with, when asked about the legacy she hopes to leave she without hesitation says, “We don’t do our work with the hope of legacies because we may make mistakes.” She simply wants to contribute to the success of UNISA graduates and by ensuring that when graduates leave their institution that they can go anywhere in the world and be able to express their talent the best way they can. She also wants to continue building a vibrant UNISA that will survive for another 100 years.

Just by spending a few minutes with Prof. LenkaBula one is drawn to her love and passion for transformation, and you too are moved to be part of the change that she is championing in your own world. She comes from a place of calm, humility, and wisdom. Before ending off the interview she shares a quote that is dear to her and inspires her every day.

“Life is a gift and it ought not to be taken for granted; it must be treasured. I should always be the best that I am purposed to be, if I do so, I will be a resource and not an obstacle in people’s trajectories.”

Prof. LenkaBula takes the same forward thinking open heartedness home with her. “I have sons and I want to raise them with dignity and teach them that they too should respect people for who they are.” Just as she is concerned about creating a safe and supportive environment for her students, she has created the same safe space at home where no topic is alien. Children are first introduced to community in the family structure at home. It then becomes important that each of us become cognisant of what we are teaching our kids, they are next in line to take the baton.

If we don’t teach them responsible behaviour and citizenship the change that we aspire to will never be realised. Much of what needs to be done to change South Africa, the African continent and the world cannot be achieved in a day.

Change is the only constant, it’s an ongoing exercise that requires patience. As societies it thus becomes important that we cultivate this mindset in the future generations.

To what do you owe your success? “Firstly, I am humbled to be where I am today. I am here today because of my mentors, the people that have invested their time, those that recognised my potential and gave me the push and opportunity to grow. I recognise that I come from the hands of men and women that have sacrificed more than I have.” She also thanks her sons for their unwavering support even in the toughest times. And lastly adds, she is excited to put the vision into action.

By Tamara Toti

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