Elected representation on Council

UWC’s Statute provides for elected academic and professional, support and administrative staff representatives, and two registered students elected by the SRC, on Council. The complete statutory provisions, Council subsection and membership record remain below, retaining the source’s historical entries and the distinction between statutory rules and dated membership evidence. [P06] [P05]

Evidence and context

Elected representation and public participation in governance

UWC’s Council brings elected staff and student representatives into the university’s governing body alongside members drawn from public institutions, organised business, organised labour, donors and Convocation. The 2018 Statute specifies election by academic employees and by professional, support and administrative staff, and election of two registered students by the Students’ Representative Council. It also establishes seats for the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape, with a minimum external majority. These provisions set out who participates, how key representatives are selected and the duties Council members owe to the university. [P06, Sections 8.1–8.7 and 8.28–8.36; government 42-page edition; Gazette pp.81–83,86]

An official election announcement dated 23 August 2023 records the election of Professor Shaun Pather as academic representative and Lucille Teegler as PASS representative for 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2026. Voting took place electronically after a nomination process, with nominations checked by Human Resources and supervised by Legal Services. [P07, Election results, 23 August 2023]

The Annual Report 2024 records how this structure operated during the reporting year. At Council’s final meeting on 28 November 2024, 17 of its 27 members were neither employees nor student representatives. Annexure 1 identifies academic, non-academic and student members and the representatives of the City, province, organised business and organised labour. It records Professor Julian May replacing Professor Pather as academic employee representative during Pather’s period as acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor from May to December 2024. The report also documents written conflict-of-interest declarations and Council’s meeting and accountability arrangements. [P05, Council statement physical p.25 / printed pp.48–49; membership physical p.72 / printed pp.142–143]

Source note: the quoted membership list is reproduced from the 77-page spread edition. Its two entries for student office-holders whose service ended in 2023 are retained as historical entries in that source. The online 130-page FINAL-Web edition checked on 13 October 2026 omits those two entries; it retains the 2024 academic, PASS, student and external membership relevant to this account. [P05, Annexure 1, physical p.72 / printed pp.142–143] [P09, Annexure 1, physical pp.122–123 / printed pp.120–121]

Back to the overview

Recognition and role of student representation

The Statute recognises the SRC as the body representing students in matters affecting them, with a Council-approved constitution and defined responsibilities. The 2025 accounts document elected leadership, participation in Council and Senate, student advocacy and the inaugural Student Assembly. The full statutory text preserves the SRC’s powers and limits. [P06] [D06] [N01]

Evidence and context

Student voice in university decisions

Elected student leadership for 2025

UWC entered 2025 with an expanded Student Representative Council elected in 2024. Amendments to the Student Governance Constitution increased the council from 12 to 15 members, adding representation for sport, accommodation, postgraduate students and international students. The newly elected leaders completed an induction workshop after their inauguration. The account identifies student governance as a responsibility to the whole student body, connecting representation with student aspirations, integrity and the university’s history of activism. Dedicated postgraduate and international portfolios make those constituencies visible within the SRC’s representative structure. [D01, Article PDF physical pages 1–2; live article date and membership table]

Student advocacy and financial support

Student advocacy helped shape a practical response to financial exclusion in February 2025. UWC announced a R1.6 million contribution to support the SRC-initiated iKamvalethu Fund, drawing on inauguration savings, fundraising and a R500,000 donation from the Mauerberger Foundation. The fund assists eligible students whose outstanding fees prevent financial clearance or graduation, with academic materials a possible additional use when funds permit. The university’s Financial Aid Office manages the fund, using criteria set by the Financial Aid Subcommittee and final approval by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Student Development and Support. The initiative links an elected student body’s welfare priorities with institutional financial controls. [D02, Article PDF physical page 1; article body and live publication metadata]

Student representation through the year

The next SRC was inaugurated on 14 October 2025. In his address, Rector and Vice-Chancellor Robert Balfour confirmed Mcntosh Khasembe’s re-election and described the SRC’s participation in Council, Senate and other committees. The address linked student representation with the shaping of policies, programmes and the learning environment. It also stressed listening, respectful disagreement, negotiation and service to all students. This provides a dated 2025 account of student representation within institutional governance, alongside the earlier election account for the SRC that began the year. [D06, Physical PDF pages 1–2; role and purpose section]

Portrait of the SRC president accompanying UWC’s 2025/2026 SRC membership page. Image metadata records 14 October 2025. Credit: University of the Western Cape; individual photographer not credited on the source page. Image source.

The role of the student council

UWC describes the SRC as a representative and coordinating body for student life. Its published functions include liaison with Council, Senate and university management; recognition of student clubs and societies; student meetings, referenda and petitions; extramural activities; community projects; and allocation of funds to recognised student structures. These functions connect student voice in institutional decision-making with the social and organisational life of the campus. [D07, The Functions of the SRC section]

The Student Assembly begins its work

UWC’s Student Assembly held its inaugural sitting in Senate Hall on 15 May 2025. The Rector’s opening address records the Assembly’s role as an oversight and advisory body to the SRC, receiving reports and making policy recommendations. It brings together SRC representatives and other student structures, broadening the routes through which students can raise concerns and hold their leadership accountable. The address traces the structure to the Student Governance Constitution considered by Council in June and July 2024 and subsequently approved through a round-robin process. [N01, opening address, physical pp1–3]

The statutory role of student representation

The Statute recognises the Students’ Representative Council as the body representing students in matters affecting them. Its responsibilities include liaison with university leadership and outside organisations, recognition of student clubs and societies, oversight of student facilities, authorised student meetings, activities, funds, community projects and publications. The framework gives the SRC defined responsibilities within the university’s governance system, with a Council-approved constitution and powers delegated by Council. The complete statutory provisions below preserve those responsibilities and their limits. [P06, Chapter 15, government physical pp.33–34; Statute pp.32–33; Gazette pp.102–103]

Back to the overview

Stakeholder identification and engagement

UWC’s published governance framework identifies external representation on Council and an advisory role for the Institutional Forum. The 2025 Campus Dialogues and Bellville Higher Education Forum provide dated examples of consultation and urban partnership. The full accounts retain who participated and the routes through which contributions were invited. [P06] [D03] [D10]

Evidence and context

Listening to campus and local communities

Campus Dialogues in 2025

UWC’s Campus Dialogues invited staff and students to contribute to the university’s next Institutional Operating Plan for 2026–2030. The 2025 programme outlined discussion of the institution’s identity and intellectual purpose with topics such as curriculum responsiveness, postgraduate experience, equality and belonging, and financial sustainability. The invitation provided for online participation, recordings and written contributions where possible. It also proposed reports after each dialogue, capturing insights and follow-up actions for relevant governance structures. This design connected campus discussion to strategic planning and created several routes for the university community to contribute. [D03, Article PDF physical pages 1–4; Background, Dialogues and Moving from words to action]

Consultation on the university strategy

The opening address for the first Campus Dialogue on 27 June 2025 documents how this consultation began. The panel included SRC President Mcntosh Khasembe alongside scholars from UWC and beyond, with Professor Sarojini Nadar facilitating. The session considered UWC’s intellectual heritage and socially committed academic future. The address explicitly welcomed campus participation in person, online and through written contributions, and linked the discussion to strategic decisions and follow-up work. It establishes a dated point of implementation within the wider 2025 consultation programme. [D09, Physical PDF pages 1–2; acknowledgements and closing reflection]

Working with partners in Bellville

UWC hosted the Bellville Higher Education Forum in 2025, bringing its development plans into discussion with the City of Cape Town, the Greater Tygerberg Partnership and neighbouring higher-education institutions. The forum considered student accommodation, academic facilities, public transport and safety. UWC presented its property portfolio and future accommodation and teaching-space plans. Discussions on a proposed cycling network included concerns raised with students, university management and community structures. The forum offers a concrete example of university planning being discussed within a wider urban partnership concerned with the places where students live, study and travel. [D10, Article body, institutional partners and transport/safety paragraphs]

Back to the overview

Participation in university decision making

The Institutional Forum provides a formal advisory route to Council on transformation, equity, appointments, conduct and the university environment. Its complete statutory provisions and the dated account of its work remain below. External Council seats and the Bellville partnership are retained in the preceding governance sections, with their different representative and consultative roles. [P06] [P05]

Evidence and context

The Institutional Forum as a participatory advisory body

UWC’s Institutional Forum provides a formal advisory route to Council on transformation, equity, senior appointments, codes of conduct and an environment that supports teaching, research, learning and fundamental rights. The statutory membership includes management, Senate, external Council members, academic employees, professional and support staff, and students, with provision for co-opted expertise. The Annual Report records eight meetings in 2024 and deliberations on governance, student experience, employment equity and senior appointments. It also records the Forum’s contribution to reviewing the Student Governance Constitution, including proposals for online voting and a Student Assembly. [P06, Sections 10.1–10.4; physical pp.26–27; Gazette pp.95–96] [P05, Institutional Forum report, physical p.24 / printed pp.46–47]

Back to the overview

Integrity, corruption and bribery

The Council account records conflict-of-interest declarations and accountability arrangements, while UWC’s teaching, leadership development and public scholarship address corruption, money laundering and ethical conduct. The complete accounts below retain the difference between institutional governance arrangements, curriculum provisions and scholarly debate. [P05] [D13] [D14]

Evidence and context

Learning for ethical and accountable institutions

Debating corruption and continental trade

UWC’s Mercantile and Labour Law Department and the University of the Free State invited contributions to a June 2025 colloquium on corruption in African business and the African Continental Free Trade Area. The programme announcement connected anti-corruption law with corporate accountability, whistleblower protection, procurement, illicit financial flows and ethical business cultures. It offered hybrid participation and proposed consideration of accepted papers for the Journal of Anti-Corruption Law. The initiative illustrates the scope of UWC’s scholarly engagement with institutions and practices that can support transparent economic activity. [D13, Conference Theme, Registration and Important Conference Dates]

Teaching ethics and accountability in law

The 2025 Law calendar includes postgraduate study of Anti-Corruption Law and Anti-Money Laundering Law, each carrying 30 credits. The anti-corruption curriculum addresses prevention, enforcement, prosecution, cooperation and asset recovery. The money-laundering curriculum examines financial crime, investigation and the development of policy responses. Undergraduate Law of Economic Crime also connects corruption and money laundering with development and human rights. These curriculum provisions support the development of legal knowledge relevant to public integrity and accountable institutions. [D14, Physical pages 51, 53, 151–152 and 214–217; printed pages 50, 52, 150–151 and 213–216.]

Ethical leadership in public life

UWC’s Human Resources Leadership Series continued in 2025 with a session led by Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka. The university’s retrospective account records discussion of trust in public institutions, ethical use of authority and responsibility in leadership. Contributions from university leaders emphasised integrity, accountability, fairness and transparency in institutional practice. The event formed part of a staff-development series linked to UWC’s people, leadership and governance priorities, making public-sector experience available for reflection within the university community. [D21, Article body; opening, IOP link and concluding discussion]

Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka speaks in UWC’s Human Resources Leadership Series on 6 August 2025. UWC published its report on 14 August 2025. Credit: Shelley Christians/UWC. Image source.

Leadership lessons from the Auditor General

The Human Resources Leadership Series began on 13 August 2024 with Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke as keynote speaker. The university organised the event around ethical and effective leadership, with staff, guests and online viewers participating. The discussion connected public accountability with the responsibilities of institutional leaders. It provides a 2024 foundation for the series that continued with the Public Protector in 2025, showing an ongoing effort to bring governance experience into university leadership development. [D24, Article opening date and Auditor-General keynote discussion]

Research and dialogue on corruption and financial integrity

Examining financial integrity without excluding communities

A two-day seminar at UWC on 22–23 July 2025 examined more than two decades of anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing practice. Cenfri’s retrospective identifies UWC, La Trobe University and IFAD as collaborators. Regulators, policymakers, academics, financial institutions, remittance providers and civil society participants considered changes in international standards and their implications for financial inclusion. UWC’s account highlights discussions about the relationship between money laundering and underlying crimes, the role of banking access in ordinary life, and the opportunities and risks presented by technology. This cross-sector exchange placed institutional integrity alongside the need to avoid unnecessarily excluding lower-income users and legitimate activity from financial services. [J18, Opening, background and seminar objectives] [J11, Opening organiser/audience paragraphs and discussion of banking access and technology]

Open scholarly platforms for accountability

The Faculty of Law supports public access to legal scholarship through Law, Democracy and Development and the Journal of Anti-Corruption Law. The latter is an open-access, peer-reviewed project of the Department of Criminal Justice and Procedure, covering corruption and economic crime through legal and socio-legal analysis. Its 2025 Volume 9 Number 1 addressed government contracting, anti-corruption agencies, municipal investigations, prosecutorial independence and arms-procurement fraud. These publications provide a channel through which arguments about governance and institutional accountability can be examined and debated. [J12, Law Journals subsection] [J13, 2025 issue contents and publication date]

Scrutinising how powers to combat corruption are used

A 2025 article by UWC’s Usang Maria Assim and University of Ibadan scholar Deborah Damilola Adeyemo examined anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria. Using doctrinal legal research, the authors considered how selective prosecution, political control and the misuse of legal processes can undermine the institutions intended to support accountability. Their analysis argues that anti-corruption strategies must themselves be scrutinised for the way power is exercised. The study connects the fight against corruption with constitutional safeguards and institutional independence. The paper highlights the importance of scrutinising legal safeguards alongside enforcement powers. [J08, Article abstract; author affiliation; Published and License fields; full PDF pp 27–42]

Student perspectives on ethical conduct and white collar crime

Research led by UWC management scholar Eugine Tafadzwa Maziriri and published in 2025 explored how students think white-collar crime could be addressed. The qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with 20 postgraduate students at a South African university and analysed their accounts using the Gioia approach. Participants proposed stronger ethics and corporate-governance teaching, opportunities for structured ethical debate and better feedback between universities and workplaces. They also discussed accountability mechanisms beyond conventional whistleblowing. The study contributes students’ perspectives to debates about professional conduct and corruption prevention. The exploratory findings give a specific group of students a place in conversations about the education of future professionals. [J09, Original PDF pp 1, 4–10; abstract, methodology, findings and limitations]

Back to the overview

Academic freedom and research policy

UWC’s historical 2009 Research Policy framework recognises academic freedom as a foundation for research. Its complete Section 1 and the separately identified Research Ethics Policy provisions remain below. Their document-control information and historical context are preserved so the original framework and later ethical provisions retain their identities. [P02] [N02]

Evidence and context

Academic freedom and the research framework

UWC’s Research Policy Introduction and Defining Framework, approved by Council on 26 November 2009, recognises academic freedom as a foundation for generating knowledge through curiosity-driven, applied and strategic research. Its complete Section 1 is reproduced below as the historical C2009/4 framework. Its statistics, forward-looking priorities and institutional descriptions belong to that edition. Later research-policy sections developed the framework, including the Research Ethics Policy discussed after the excerpt. [P02, cover and complete Section 1, physical/printed pp1,4–8] [N02, cover and sections 2,3,8]

Academic freedom within the research ethics framework

The Research Ethics Policy developed the ethical framework envisaged in 2009. Its C2020/04 version 2 cover records a revision date of 26 November 2020 alongside 2 November 2019. The policy protects researchers’ academic freedom and applies to staff and researchers at undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral levels. Section 8 assigns the choice of research topic and conduct of research to the individual researcher, subject to university policy and applicable professional standards. The provisions combine freedom of inquiry with responsibilities to research participants, colleagues and society. [N02, cover; complete sections 2,3 and 8, physical pp4–5,7–8]

Back to the overview

Published university financial information

UWC publishes financial information in its Annual Report, including statements, accounting policies and notes. The retained 2024 report records Council approval on 26 June 2025 and an auditor’s report dated 30 June 2025. The full selected audit text preserves both the unmodified financial-statement opinion and the separate compliance finding. [P05] [P08]

Evidence and context

Published financial information and audit accountability

UWC publishes annual financial information through its Annual Report. The 77-page spread edition of Annual Report 2024 includes consolidated statements of financial position, movements in funds, income and cash flows, together with accounting policies and detailed notes. The statements provide 2024 and 2023 comparatives. Council approved the financial statements on 26 June 2025, and the independent auditor’s report is dated 30 June 2025. The auditor issued an unmodified financial-statement opinion under IFRS Accounting Standards. Its separate compliance findings record that the mid-year performance report was not submitted to the Department of Higher Education and Training by the required 30 November deadline. Both the opinion and that finding are preserved below. [P05, Approval physical p.38 / printed p.74; audit physical pp.39–42 / printed pp.76–83; financial statements physical pp.44–70 / printed pp.86–139]

The Finance and Services page links to the 130-page FINAL-Web edition of the 2024 Annual Report. The quotations below use the separately identified 77-page spread edition. [P08, Annual Report 2024 link] [P09, 2024 online FINAL-Web edition]

Source note: the 77-page spread edition’s auditor and Council statements refer internally to financial-statement pages 76–118. In this 77-page spread layout, the financial statements are actually on printed pages 86–139, physical PDF pages 44–70. The source wording is retained in the quotation rather than silently repaginated. [P05, Physical pp.38–39 and44–70; source internal pagination differs from supplied layout]

Back to the overview

Expert advice to government

UWC researchers provide legal and governance input through parliamentary submissions, public-institution partnerships, committee roles and specific advice across government levels. The full dated accounts include the GNU clearing-house terms, state-enterprise governance, water-service protection and land policy, without treating the provision of advice as proof of its adoption. [G21G] [G10] [G02]

Evidence and context

Expertise that informs public institutions

Helping the GNU resolve disagreements in 2025

UWC’s expertise contributed to the operating arrangements of South Africa’s Government of National Unity. The Presidency’s statement of 29 October 2025 records that Professor Jaap de Visser was engaged to refine the clearing-house mechanism’s draft terms, particularly provisions dealing with deadlocks and consensus. The mechanism adopted its terms that day for onward ratification by the Political Leaders’ Forum, with unresolved matters to be referred to the Political Leaders’ Forum. The Dullah Omar Institute identifies de Visser’s contribution as expert legal and governance input. This is a specific example of university expertise being used within a national inter-party governance process. [G21G, 29 October 2025 statement, paragraphs 3–8] [G21, Main article]

Scrutinising state-enterprise governance

In a submission dated 2 January 2025, Professors Lukas Muntingh and Riekie Wandrag provided the Dullah Omar Institute’s analysis of the National State Enterprises Bill for the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. The submission examined the proposed governance model, board appointments, due diligence and accountability. It argued for institutional arrangements that make transparency and responsible administration practical requirements, rather than relying only on the personal integrity of office-holders. The contribution brought legal research into parliamentary scrutiny of the management of public assets. [G10, Cover; introduction p3; pp11–16]

Research based advice on protecting water services

In 2025, Dullah Omar Institute researchers assisted the South African Human Rights Commission with a policy brief on deliberate damage to essential water infrastructure. The brief acknowledges Johandri Wright, Lukas Muntingh and Jean Redpath alongside SAHRC contributors. It examines legal responses to sabotage, organised crime and threats to public services. The Commission’s June 2025 statement confirms that it shared the brief with the Presidency, the ministers responsible for police and water, the national prosecutions head and the Office of the Chief Justice. The work connects constitutional rights, infrastructure protection and criminal-justice expertise. [G09P, Acknowledgements printed p3 / physical p4; recommendations printed pp17–19] [G09S, Statement of 25 June 2025, recipients paragraph]

Advice to local provincial and national government in 2025

The Dullah Omar Institute’s 2025 report records expert advice at three levels of government. Professor Jaap de Visser advised the City of Tshwane on the Municipal Demarcation Bill on 30 April. Dr Jean Redpath discussed the allocation of policing powers with the Western Cape Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety on 21 November. On 11 December, de Visser provided legal opinions on National Treasury and Cooperative Governance draft guidance for implementing section 139 of the Constitution, and to the Presidency’s Operation Vulindlela on trading-services reform. These are dated contributions to public decision-making; they do not imply that the advice was adopted. [G02, Legal opinions, physical/printed p61]

Advice across government levels in 2024

The Dullah Omar Institute’s 2024 report records national, provincial and local engagement. Lukas Muntingh served on the South African Law Reform Commission’s advisory committee reviewing criminal procedure. Jean Redpath was reappointed to Cape Town’s Civilian Oversight Committee and the Western Cape Provincial Safety Advisory Committee, becoming chair of the latter. The report also records advice on provincial oversight of local law enforcement and participation in the initial review of the White Paper on Local Government. These named roles show direct routes through which UWC expertise enters public decision-making. [G01, Full report pp19,47,76]

Putting informal workers into the policy conversation

A submission dated 30 June 2024 provided the Department of Cooperative Governance with UWC-based legal analysis of proposed township-economy by-laws. The Institute drew attention to the circumstances of informal workers, including women and migrants, and questioned an approach overly dependent on enforcement. It called for inclusive policy development, adequate consultation and rules that support livelihoods. This contribution demonstrates specific advice to a national department on how local regulation can affect access to economic opportunity and fair treatment. [G11, pp1–6]

Engagement on land policy with public decision makers

PLAAS’s 2024 report records a briefing with Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development Mzwanele Nyhontso, alongside a March policy briefing by Professor Ruth Hall for the director-general’s office responsible for agriculture, land reform and rural development. The institute also brought its research on women’s land rights into dialogue with African land ministries. These engagements connect analysis of land access and inequality with officials responsible for policy and implementation. [G03, Printed pp5,37; physical pp3,19]

Back to the overview

Education and capacity building for policymakers

UWC’s professional learning includes the African School on Decentralisation, public law for local-government practice, pan-African land governance and pharmaceutical policy and management. The full accounts distinguish notices from confirmed cohorts and retain dates, participant groups, eligibility and fee conditions. [G06] [G19] [G17]

Evidence and context

Building the knowledge of policymakers and practitioners

African School on Decentralisation in 2025

The fifth African School on Decentralisation brought together 24 participants from ten African countries from 13 to 25 October 2025. Co-hosted by UWC’s Dullah Omar Institute and Addis Ababa University, it focused on decentralisation and public finance. The programme combined seminars, group work and engagement with public institutions, including a visit to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. Participants explored municipal audits, fiscal pressures, property taxation, corruption and access to development finance. Contributions from the City of Cape Town, the Auditor-General’s Office and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum connected academic learning with practical governance challenges. [G06, Main retrospective article]

A group photograph accompanying the Dullah Omar Institute’s account of the 2025 African School on Decentralisation. The programme ran from 13 to 25 October 2025; image metadata records 15 October 2025. Credit: Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape; individual photographer not credited. Image source.

A documented 2024 cohort

The fourth African School on Decentralisation focused on decentralisation and human rights. Its retrospective account records 24 participants from 15 African countries, including officials working at local, regional and national levels, researchers and civil-society practitioners. Held in Cape Town and Stellenbosch in October 2024, the course combined lectures, debates, case studies and field engagement with housing-rights organisations. Assessment included tests, assignments and presentations. This provides a dated example of UWC helping public-sector practitioners understand the relationship between government structures and the realisation of rights. [G04, Background; course content, delivery and activities; participants]

Public law for local government practice

The Postgraduate Diploma in Public Law, focusing on Local Government, is designed for practitioners in the public service, law, consultancy and civil society. Its 2025 intake material describes a multidisciplinary curriculum combining public and administrative law with politics, economics, finance and public administration. Procurement and planning are among the practical governance areas covered, while comparisons with other African systems broaden the perspective beyond South Africa. The programme offers a structured route for people working with municipalities to deepen the knowledge they use in practice. [G22, Audience; programme description]

Practitioner participation in 2025

The Institute’s 2025 annual report records approximately 60 registrations in this public-law diploma. It identifies the principal participant groups as public servants, legal professionals, private-sector practitioners, consultants and civil-society organisations working in local government. [G02, p22, Teaching]

Land-governance education for African professionals

PLAAS offered its accredited Political Economy of Land Governance in Africa short course online from 31 March to 4 April 2025, in collaboration with the African Land Policy Centre. The programme addressed customary and statutory tenure, land reform, women’s land rights, natural resources, climate change and the pressures associated with investment. The notice offered selected participants places without course fees. The course’s stated purpose was to build the expertise of land professionals and policymakers responding to land-governance challenges across Africa. [G19, Overview; dates; course content; fees]

Verified participation in the 2024 land course

PLAAS’s retrospective report on the 22–26 July 2024 course records 75 attendees, with government professionals making up 29% of the group. Participants learned from 18 lecturers and facilitators through an intensive online programme. Topics included land administration, women’s land rights, customary and statutory tenure, global policy and climate-related governance challenges. The mix of public officials, civil society, academia and private-sector professionals created a setting for learning across institutional boundaries. [G20, Attendance; sector distribution; five-day programme]

Pharmaceutical policy and management

UWC’s School of Public Health offered Pharmaceutical Policy and Management as a July–November 2025 online module for current and future policymakers, advisers and managers responsible for implementation. The curriculum covered policy analysis, medicine quality, procurement, supply and antimicrobial challenges, with a particular focus on pharmacovigilance. The notice listed facilitators from South African national and provincial health departments. The School’s 2024 brochure separately documents the earlier offer of this module and Rational Medicines Use, demonstrating continuity of policy-oriented professional education. [G17, Course content; target group; facilitators] [G18, pp1–2]

Back to the overview

Policy-focused research with government

Government-linked research includes work on the parole system and the development of a national Digital Competency Framework. The wider evidence also covers municipal continuity and transparency. The full texts preserve the roles, research stages and expected later milestones, distinguishing work underway from completed rollout. [G08] [G07] [G02]

Evidence and context

Research on public institutions and policy

Research informing review of the parole system

The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation’s 2024/25 annual report identifies UWC among the university research teams contributing to its rapid diagnostic evaluation of the parole system. Insights from an evaluative workshop were shared with Correctional Services to inform strategic review and institutional planning. The government report describes the evaluation as still underway at the end of that financial year. UWC’s own calendar-year record also dates Lukas Muntingh’s parole-system presentation to a meeting convened by the two departments on 20 November 2024. [G08, Printed p42; physical p50, parole evaluation paragraph] [G01, Full report p69, presentation 54]

Digital inclusion and national skills policy

In July 2025, UWC reported that Dr Leona Craffert had been invited by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies to join a collaborative research team developing a national Digital Competency Framework. The team combined government officials, industry representatives and academics. The work draws on UWC’s CoLab for Digital Inclusion and its experience of digital skills development. The invitation provides a specific example of government seeking university research expertise to shape a national framework; it should be understood as a contribution to development rather than a claim that the framework had already been completed. [G07, Main article, published 14 July 2025]

Continuity of municipal administration

During 2025, the Dullah Omar Institute began developing guidance for Western Cape municipalities on maintaining administrative continuity during coalition uncertainty. Its annual report explains the practical aim: public administration and service delivery need to keep functioning when political arrangements change. The report places the anticipated launch in 2026, so the 2025 contribution is the research and development work rather than a completed rollout. [G02, p25, Coalitions guidelines for municipalities in the Western Cape]

Testing transparency in practice

A 2024 study by Curtly Stevens, Johandri Wright, Tinashe Chigwata and Jaap de Visser examined how 20 sampled municipalities make councillors’ financial interests available to the public. The researchers identified gaps in publication, incomplete declarations and barriers to access. By studying implementation rather than relying only on the existence of legal rules, the report contributes evidence to debates about municipal accountability and the public’s ability to scrutinise decision-makers. [G12, Methodology p6; findings pp9–13; conclusion pp13–14]

Back to the overview

Platforms for political and public dialogue

UWC convenes discussion on democracy, elections, coalition government, language and public accountability. The retained programmes and retrospective accounts identify the political, academic, government and civil-society participants and distinguish the 2025 activities from their 2023 and 2024 foundations. [G27] [G02] [D23]

Evidence and context

Public dialogue on democracy and inclusion

Dialogue on democracy and the social state

The programme for the seventh German–South African Dialogue on Democracy advertised a comparative forum on the social and economic foundations of democratic life. Its February 2025 programme paired a Stellenbosch plenary with a full day at UWC. Planned sessions addressed constitutional approaches to the social state, inequality and democratic citizenship, and accountability in economic decision-making. The programme scheduled contributions from German and South African scholars and advertised free registration and an accessible venue. It provides a public programme for structured debate on democracy and socio-economic rights. [D16, Physical pages 1, 3–5; programme and registration]

Cooperation on media and information literacy

UWC’s Research Chair in Media Inclusion and Diversity convened an international exchange on digital and media literacy in 2025. Partners included academics, public broadcasters and South African media-governance and civil-society organisations. The engagement linked critical media education with inclusion, representation and responses to misinformation. Related visits to the SABC and Bush Radio connected the discussion with national public broadcasting and community radio. This work brought scholarly and professional perspectives together around the quality of information on which public participation depends. [D17, Article opening and Extending Dialogue section]

Special Annual Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Lecture Explores 30 Years of Democracy and the Way Forward Post Elections 2024

UWC’s eighth Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust lecture brought public leadership and democratic accountability into debate in 2024. The panel included constitutional civil-society leader Lawson Naidoo, UWC political scientist Cherrel Africa and governance practitioner Crystal Abdoll. Discussion addressed trust, ethical leadership, service delivery and cooperation across party lines. It also reflected on the risks of unstable coalition arrangements and the importance of keeping citizens central to governance. The event connected academic analysis with professional and civil-society perspectives on South Africa’s democratic future. [D19, Article body, panel and coalition discussion]

The panel at UWC’s 2024 Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust lecture on democracy and public leadership. The report was published on 30 May 2024; the photograph’s exact capture date is unverified. Credit: Taygon Sass/UWC. Image source.

Language our Freedom

On 16 June 2025, UWC and the Department of Basic Education co-hosted the Language Our Freedom dialogue with literacy and youth-development organisations. The Department’s account confirms an intergenerational exchange involving schooling communities, students, teachers, academics and public representatives. Discussion addressed language policy, mother-tongue-based bilingual education, classroom experience and the transition between basic and higher education. The format gave education officials an opportunity both to explain implementation and to hear community concerns. It connects inclusive dialogue with language justice and the recognition of people whose voices are often marginalised in education. [D23, Opening paragraph, MTbBE engagement paragraph and panel description]

Convening public discussion on democracy and governance

Dialogue on municipal elections in 2025

On 18 November 2025, the Dullah Omar Institute co-hosted a panel discussion with the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office on the coming local-government elections. The Institute’s annual report records the event as part of its 2025 programme of public discussion. It also records a 5 September exchange seminar on women in leadership, co-convened with the Netherlands Institute for Multi-Party Democracy. These activities extended the Institute’s engagement with electoral and governance questions during 2025. [G02, Seminars and conferences, physical/printed p24]

Examining intergovernmental relations before the 2024 election

A March 2024 UWC conference examined how the national election could affect relations among national, provincial and local governments. The Dullah Omar Institute programme brought together the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, academic specialists and a civil-society voice from the Rivonia Circle. Its questions centred on how the system responds when different parties or coalitions govern at different levels, and how service delivery can be protected during political change. [G13, Event description and speakers] [G01, Full report p44, delivery confirmation only]

Continuing discussion after the election

On 30 July 2024, the Dullah Omar Institute and Hanns Seidel Foundation held a webinar examining the Government of National Unity and its implications for governance. The retrospective account identifies perspectives from academia, Kenya’s judiciary and non-governmental organisations. The discussion considered expectations of the GNU, coalition politics and the role of communities. This extended the university’s public conversation on governing across political differences beyond the election itself. [G14, Main retrospective article]

Citizen perspectives on the rule of law

The Institute’s February 2024 seminar programme placed democracy and elections in South Africa alongside citizens’ experiences of the rule of law. It paired constitutional and political expertise with a contribution from the Electoral Commission’s Western Cape leadership. The hybrid format enabled participation at UWC and online, making the discussion accessible beyond a single physical audience. [G15, Event description and speakers] [G01, Full report p44, delivery confirmation only]

Coalition governance at municipal level

The Dullah Omar Institute and ACCORD convened a September 2024 seminar on coalition governance in Western Cape municipalities. The programme combined academic analysis with municipal and civil-society perspectives, examining electoral dynamics, administrative functioning and possible routes to more stable coalitions. The event was part of a wider ACCORD initiative linking research with conflict-resolution capacity building. [G28, Event description; agenda] [G01, Full report p44, delivery confirmation only]

Public scrutiny of prosecutorial leadership

The Institute’s 2025 public programme offered a webinar on selecting the National Director of Public Prosecutions. Jean Redpath and former Investigating Directorate head Hermione Cronje were scheduled to discuss the appointment process, qualifications and qualities needed for the role, in conversation with Lukas Muntingh. The event connected legal expertise with public questions about accountability and the independence of criminal prosecution. [G16, Event description and speaker roles]

A longer history of bringing political stakeholders together

The National Dialogue on Coalition Governments hosted at UWC on 4–5 August 2023 provides earlier context for this work. The Presidency’s opening address recognised UWC and the Dullah Omar Institute as hosts and addressed political-party leaders, public representatives, organised labour, business and constitutional institutions. The gathering examined how coalitions could function more effectively. It is an important historical example of cross-sector political discussion on campus, distinct from the activities documented for 2024 and 2025. [G27, Opening acknowledgements and dialogue context]

Back to the overview