Governance

The Council of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) is the highest governing structure of the university and is responsible for overall governance, in terms of the Higher Education Act and the Statute of the institution.
 
The Council is therefore responsible for oversight of UWC’s financial affairs, affairs relating to quality instruction and proper evaluation of students, its general reputation and standing within South Africa and the rest of the world, and for the maintenance of good order in the affairs of the institution. As the highest governing body of the institution, Council must ensure that the institution sustains the confidence of the public and of the State.
 
Its responsibilities include the appointment of the senior management, which is made up of the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Vice-Rectors (or Deputy Vice-Chancellors), the Registrar, Executive Directors and academic Deans; approving all policies; and oversight of compliance within the higher education regulatory framework. The Rector and Vice-Chancellor and his management team are responsible for the management and general operations of the university, and are accountable to the Council. 
 
Click here for the Code of Conduct for Council and Members of Council.
 
The Chancellor of UWC is Archbishop Thabo Makgoba who is serving his third term. The Chancellor is the titular head of a university and is responsible for conferring degrees at the university’s graduation ceremonies.

Rectorate

  • Prof Robert Balfour (Rector & Vice-Chancellor)
  • Prof Monwabisi Ralarala (DVC: Academic)
  • Prof Sarojini Nadar (DVC: Research & Innovation)
  • Prof Matete Madiba (DVC: Student Development & Support)

Appointed by Minister of Higher Education and Training

  • Ms Xoliswa Mpongoshe  (Chairperson)
  • Dr Razeena Omar
  • Mr Luzuko Buku (Vice-Chairperson)
  • Vacant
  • Vacant

Two members of Senate

  • Prof Ruth Hall 
  • Mr Shamiel Jassiem

Two members of Convocation

  • Mr Bantu Mazingi
  • Mr Mangaliso Nompula

One academic employee

  • Prof Shaun Pather

One Professional, Administrative and Support Staff (PASS) employee

  • Ms Lucille Teegler

Two SRC Members

  • Mr Mcntosh Khasembe - SRC President
  • Ms Khanyisa Douse - SRC Secretary General

Two Donors

  • Mr Sana-Ullah Bray
  • Vacant

One member from the City of Cape Town

  • Mr Mikhail Manuel

One member of the Organised Business in the RSA

  • Ms Deidré Penfold

One member of the Organised Labour in the Western Cape

  • Mr Masale Godfrey Selematsela

One member of the Organised Business in the Western Cape

  • Mr Ryan Ravens

One member of the Organised Labour in the RSA

  • Mr Lucky Goodman Mabuthu Cele

One person designated by the Premier of the Western Cape

  • Dr Leshni Shah

Additional Members

  • Ms Koketjo Magongoa
  • Mr Bhekabantu Ngubane
  • Ms Lynne Tromp
  • Prof Ramashwar (Ramesh) Bharuthram
  • Dr Llewellyn MacMaster

CONVOCATION 2026

Meet the President of Convocation, Mr Mangaliso Nompula 

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I am a young man. I Iike to refer myself as that, coming from the Eastern Cape in a township called Mthatha, where my father had his first house. Where he comes from is a township, a location called Flagstaff. I went to Zingisa High School and later continued my high schooling at Holy Cross High School in Mthatha.

 
A Student Life of Service
 
  • At Kasinga Residence became house committee deputy chair then de facto chair
  • Involved in student activism representing the South African Students Congress (SASCO)
  • Chairperson twice of the general council – an affiliate of the SRC. 
  • Regional Executive Committee chair and provincial secretary of SASCO. 
  • Provincial chairperson of SASCO. 
  • National spokesperson of the SASCO 
  • Chairperson of the Informal Economy Development Forum (IEDF)  – Western Cape.
  • National Chairperson of the youth chamber of IEDF. 
  • Member of UWC Council
  • UWC convocation president.
 

WHAT IS CONVOCATION?

Convocation is a combination of academic staff and graduates. In terms of a statute or a statutory body, graduates of an institution and academic staff are part of that. The executive would form part of a convocation. Convocation in its entirety is in my terms, ambassadors of the institution itself from a graduation point of view.
 

 

YOUR MESSAGE TO THE UWC COMMUNITY

We've got a very rich alumni base that we think that we need to reconnect with and how do we reconnect i think as a first step is taking the institution at their doorstep and not wait for them to receive maybe calls or emails and so forth for them to maybe come to the institution so first and foremost is us taking uwc and what is happening in UWC and all the achievements of UWC and the proud work that stuff academic stuff you know executive students at the very most are doing out there internationally and nationally, take it to our alumni so that they can also have a remembrance of where they come from, we are still holding the fort.

 


 

The UWC Statute was approved by the Minister of Higher Education and Training and published in the Government Gazette on 23 October 2026.

To download the University of the Western Cape Statute, 2026, please click the link below:

The stated objective of the Act is to promote a culture of transparency and accountability in public and private bodies by giving effect to the right of access to information, as well as to actively promote a society in which the people of South Africa have effective access to information to enable them fully and thoroughly exercise and protect their rights. The Act determines that a requester must be given access to the record of a public body if the requester complies with all the procedural requirements of the Act relating to a request for that record, and if access to that record is not denied on any grounds of refusal as stated in the Act.

The Act requires all public and private bodies to compile manuals that would give effect to the constitutional right of access to any information held by these bodies and required for the exercise or protection of any rights, or other connected matters.

To fill in the PAIA online form, please click the link provided below:

To download the Access to and Processing of Information Manual in terms of Section 14 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, read with the Protection of Personal Information Act, please click the link provided below:

To download the Promotion of Access to Information Act (No. 2, 2000), please click one of the links provided below:​

Admission and Language Policies:

UWC recognising that the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, under Section 14 provides that everyone has the right to privacy. This right to privacy includes a right to protection against unlawful collection, retention, dissemination and use of personal information. UWC is committed to respecting, protecting, promoting and fulfilling the rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights.

In agreement with the constitutional values of democracy and openness, the need for economic and social progress within the framework of the information society requires the removal of unnecessary obstructions to the free flow of information, including personal information.

UWC further acknowledges that in order to regulate, in harmony with international standards, the processing of personal information must be done in a manner that gives effect to the right to privacy subject to justifiable limitations that are aimed at protecting other rights and important interests. 

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) was signed into law on 19 November 2013, implementation became effective on 1 July 2021.

The purpose of the POPIA is to:
  • Give effect to the constitutional right to privacy by safeguarding personal information;
  • Balance the right to privacy against other rights, like the right of access to information;
  • Regulate the way in which personal information must be processed; and
  • Provide persons with the right and remedies if the POPIA is contravened.

POPIA FAQs   POPI Policy

Universities South Africa (USAf) Implementation and Guidelines

  1. Academic Leave Policy
  2. Acceptable Use Policy
  3. Administrative and Support Leave Policy
  4. Admission Policy
  5. Anti-Harassment and Anti-Bullying Policy
  6. Annual Bonus Policy
  7. Appointment of Retired Teaching and Research Staff
  8. Appointment on Probation Policy and Rules for Academic Staff 
  9. Appointment on Probation Policy and Rules for Administrative and Support Staff 
  10. Assessment and Moderation Policy
  11. Availability on Campus Policy
  12. Benefits Policy
  13. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy
  14. Business Continuity Policy
  15. Budget Policy
  16. Cellphone Policy
  17. Certification Policy
  18. Children on Campus Policy
  19. Co-curricular Record Policy
  20. Collections Development Policy
  21. Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) Policy
  22. Data Classification Policy
  23. Delegation of Powers Policy
  24. Dentistry Leave Policy
  25. Development and Governance of Policies (Policy on Policies)
  26. Disciplinary Code and Procedure
  27. Documents, Records and Archives Management Policy
  28. Enterprise Risk Management Policy
  29. Exit Policy
  30. Financial Aid Policy
  31. Fixed Assets Policy 
  32. Flexi-time and Flexi-place Policy
  33. Flexible Learning and Teaching Provisioning Policy
  34. Fraud and Corruption Prevention Policy
  35. Grants and Contracts Policy
  36. Grievance Policy 
  37. Identity and Access Management Policy 
  38. Information Security Policy
  39. Information Security Awareness and Training Policy
  40. Infrastructure Management Policy
  41. Integrated Student Mental Health and Wellness Policy
  42. Investment Policy
  43. Language Policy
  44. Legal Matters and Signing of Contracts and Agreements Policy
  45. Management of Continuing Education Courses Policy 
  46. Network Security Policy
  47. Night Shift and Standby Work Policy
  48. Occupational Health and Safety Policy
  49. Overtime Policy
  50. Password Policy
  51. Plagiarism Policy
  52. Policy for Programme Reviews at UWC
  53. Policy and Rules regarding the Appointment of Honorary, Extraordinary, Emeritus, Adjunct Senior Lecturers, Visiting Academics, Research Fellows, and Retention of the Title "Professor."
  54. Postgraduate Policy on Master's and Doctoral Studies
  55. Private Work Policy
  56. Procurement Policy 
  57. Protection of Personal Information (POPIA) Policy
  58. Protests and Picketing Policy
  59. Quality Management of UWC Policy
  60. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy
  61. Research Policy: Consolidated Sections 1 to 13
  62. Research Policy: Section 1- Introduction & Defining Framework
  63. Research Policy: Section 2 - Strategic Research Areas Policy
  64. Research Policy: Section 3 - The Establishment, Maintenance, and Review of Research Entities
  65. Research Policy: Section 4 - International and National Research Partnerships
  66. Research Policy: Section 5 - Research Capacity Development
  67. Research Policy: Section 6 - Internal Funding
  68. Research Policy: Section 7 - Research Incentive Grant Scheme
  69. Research Policy: Section 8 - Marketing of University Research
  70. Research Policy: Section 9 - Ethics Policy
  71. Research Policy: Section 10 - Intellectual Property Policy
  72. Research Policy: Section 11 - Open Access Policy
  73. Research Policy: Section 12 - Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
  74. Research Policy: Section 13 - Research Data Management
  75. Residence Admission Policy
  76. Reward Foundation (HR Policy Document)
  77. Selection, Development and Evaluation of Learning Materials
  78. Sexual Violence Policy
  79. Smoking Policy
  80. Staff Appointments Policy 
  81. Staff with Disabilities Policy 
  82. Student Debt Management (SDM) Policy
  83. System Development Lifecycle (SDLC) Policy
  84. Teaching and Learning Policy
  85. Third Party Security Risk Management Policy 
  86. Travel Policy
  87. Vehicle Use Policy
  88. Wireless LAN (WiFi) Policy
  89. Work Study Programme Policy
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