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26/04/2022

Nelson Mandela University Council has re-elected Dr Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, as its Chancellor for a second term of office.

The announcement of the Chancellor’s re-election was met with enthusiastic support from Council, affirming the role she has played, and contribution she has made to date to the University and beyond.

Dr Fraser-Moleketi has served as Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University since 2018, joining, at the time, Professor Sibongile Muthwa, the Vice-Chancellor, and Ambassador Nozipho January-Bardill, the Chair of Council, at the helm of the institution. 

The Mandela University Chancellor is an eminent, respected and international public management leader whose steadfast work in public management and gender advocacy has positively impacted the African continent and beyond.  As the former Special Envoy on Gender at the African Development Bank, and an active advocate and champion of women’s economic empowerment, she spearheaded the strategy to mainstream gender in the Bank’s policies and operations, making the Bank a reference institution on gender equality on the Africa continent. 

Dr Fraser-Moleketi has worked in inter-governmental structures, interacted with political leaders, business leaders and in civil society, and has been involved in complex negotiations across different issues and sectors. Her illustrious career is characterized by a commitment and approach to social justice and economic participation that is purposefully inclusive and sustainable.

She is the former Director of Global Democratic Governance Practice of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); has served as a member of the Reference Group on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of the United Nations Development System; and is a member of the Advisory Group of Gender and Adolescence Global Evidence (GAGE).

Dr Fraser-Moleketi serves on several boards across academia, the business sector, government and development organisations, notably on issues including youth, women’s empowerment, capacity development and education, governance and poverty eradication.  She is the outgoing chairperson of the Council of the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) and the incoming Chair of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation.

In addition, she is chairperson of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration (an expert body of the United Nations Economic and Social Council) and former member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for the Study of International Development at McGill University in Canada. She served on the Africa Advisory Committee of Women’s World Banking until 2018. 

Earlier achievements by Dr Fraser-Moleketi, include preparing the African National Congress for its first democratic elections in 1994 as National Deputy Elections Coordinator of the party.  She went on to serve as a member of the South African Parliament for three consecutive parliaments (1994 to 2008) and served in the Executive and Cabinet during this period. She was Minister of Public Service and Administration for two consecutive terms (1999 to 2008), after serving as Minister of Welfare and Population Development (1996 to 1999) following her term as Deputy Minister of Welfare and Population Development.

In 1995, she was Deputy Leader of the South African Delegation to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.  A strong advocate of intergenerational dialogue, Dr Fraser-Moleketi acts as mentor to young women and men across the continent on leadership and resilience, to champion for their inclusion in determining Africa’s destiny. Her contribution to leadership in social and economic transformation with the specific emphasis on the empowerment of women, positions her as not only an ambassador of the country’s Constitution and the African continent’s growth and development ambitions, but also showcases an embodiment of the values of Nelson Mandela University.

As Chairperson of the Mandela University Council, I am overjoyed with Council’s unanimous decision to retain Dr Fraser-Moleketi as Chancellor of our institution.  Her life’s work speaks to the servant leadership and commitment of our University’s namesake, as we faithfully forge ahead in service of society.

Ambassador Nozipho January-Bardill
Chairperson of Council
Nelson Mandela University

Article Source: Nelson Mandela University News