Otlhogile tipped to replace Fako
Oarabile Mosikare | Tuesday February 21, 2017 15:10
Fako resigned last Friday as the VC for unclear reasons. Apparently, Fako outmanoeuvred the UB Council, which was said to be on the verge of suspending him pending a forensic audit. The Council had recommended the audit, but, according to a source, the whole process may be set aside now that Fako has resigned.
“We are going to make sure things fall in place administratively. We will try to resolve all pending issues like students and staff grievances, relationship amongst workers and the leadership,” said a highly placed source.
Last Friday Tshegofatso Mogomotsi released a memorandum to the university community on the resignation of Fako.
“The University Community is informed that Prof Thabo T. Fako resigned from office as Vice Chancellor of the University of Botswana on Friday 17th February, 2017 and that the Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology accepted the resignation.
Prof Fako therefore ceased to hold office as the Vice Chancellor on Friday 17th February 2017. You will be shortly advised of an acting appointment,” Mogomotsi wrote.
Yesterday, it is alleged that Cabinet met to discuss Fako’s resignation. A resolution was made that UB appoint the new VC as a matter of urgency so that when the school reopens everything is in place.
Sources close to Cabinet said two names were put on the table as possible Fako’s successors. Apart from Otlhogile who served in that capacity for more than 10 years until March 2011, was the name of John Melamu, an English professor. It will depend on the Minister if the person appointed will act or become a substantive VC.
“A public announcement will be made tomorrow [today] about the appointment,” the source said.
The Tertiary Education Minister, Dr. Alfred Madigele said he would comment on the issue after it has been resolved.
For his part Otlhogile said nobody approached him for the position. “I will only comment after they have approached me. Again you should know that I have worked before as the Vice Chancellor for close to 10 years. Let’s wait for them to approach me,” said the law professor.
Since Fako took over the position six years ago, the institution has found itself under siege. It was alleged that his passion was to reverse structural permutations from the time of Prof Sharon Siverts and Otlhogile’s Vice Chancellorship.
“His ultimate dream was to take the university back to the days of Prof Thomas Tlou when Fako was Deputy Vice Chancellor. His first mission, therefore, was to purge all university directors,” a source alleged few years ago.