Prof Mosa Moshabela – a traveller, avid reader with a generous spirit

As the clock struck 14:00, Professor Mosa Moshabela, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) new vice-chancellor (VC), strolled into the Mafeje Room in the Bremner Building on lower campus. “Am I in the right place?” he joked with giant smile.

He was indeed, and not a minute late for his second official interview as UCT’s VC. And he’d be forgiven if he was. After all, his first day in office was only scheduled for 1 August, but at the time of this interview on Friday, 26 July, he had already attended a list of meetings and engagements; as well as his first inaugural lecture, delivered by the Faculty of Health Sciences’ (FHS) Professor Rudzani Muloiwa the previous evening.

So, as expected, Professor Moshabela had his hands full, familiarising himself with campus and members of the university community. A taste of things to come, most definitely! But he also made time to squeeze in a little (or not so little) “get-to-know the VC” interview. It’s important that the constituents of Africa’s top university received a bit of insight into the man who has just become its 11th VC. Moshabela is a professor of public health and joins UCT from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), where he served as deputy vice-chancellor (DVC) for research and innovation.

As he pulled up a chair in Mafeje, it seemed remiss not to acknowledge the cold spell the Mother City was experiencing. For Capetonians it’s been rough. For a newbie resident from sunny Durban, who admitted to strategically planning holidays to Cape Town around the weather, it’s been doubly tough.

This conversation set the tone for a delightful interview that delved into what keeps him awake at night, his drink of choice and what he’s looking forward to most about his move to a city known for delivering four seasons in one day.

Niémah Davids (ND): Cape Town will no longer be an occasional holiday destination. You’re about to move here lock, stock and barrel and make it your home. What are you most looking forward to?

Mosa Moshabela (MM): It’s UCT I am most looking forward to. I look forward to getting to know the people in this community and hearing their stories and championing those stories and journeys.

“I look forward to getting to know the people in this community and hearing their stories and championing those stories and journeys.”

You know, where I come from, we believe that the people and culture is what really makes a place. Yes, you can have the beauty of the city around you, but it’s even better when you’re able to enjoy the people and their different cultures. So, I look forward to that exposure and the opportunity to engage with everyone.

ND: What was your family’s reaction to the news?

MM: I’ll be honest, they were surprised. I always said I didn’t want to live in Cape Town because I was very comfortable in Durban. And when you’re comfortable in a place, you already imagine that that’s where you are going to spend your life. We have friends there, communities and networks. Durban was home and Cape Town, well, Cape Town was a place we visited for vacation, not to stay. So, there were some feelings of betrayal.

But I think the nature of the move is what makes the difference. They are all very excited about the opportunity I have to be at UCT and to lead UCT, and for them to be part of that journey. So, they are very supportive and are willing to face and withstand whatever challenges come their way, including the dreaded Cape Town weather.

ND: They say at least one thing keeps all of us awake at night. Is it the same for you?

MM: Since my appointment was announced, the one thing that keeps me awake at night is the constant message that UCT is divided and polarised and the fact that there are so many nuances attached to it. I don’t fully understand it. I hear a lot of stories, I talk to a lot of people, but I’ve not got to a point where I feel like I have a grasp of it.

I always say, there are other challenges like budget deficits and historical debt, and I understand those things because I can look at data, analyse it and have conversations to make sense of everything. So, it’s an understandable challenge. But the people, the [institutional] culture and the difficulties that exist around those aspects are what really keeps me awake at night.

“I believe that the success of this institution hinges on a united team.”

I believe that the success of this institution hinges on a united team and there is no way anyone can prosper, succeed and be the best version of themselves in an environment where they don’t feel comfortable and at home.

If we really want to unleash potential, unleash talent and nurture it, it has to be a safe environment. It must be a comfortable environment, an enabling environment. And we can’t achieve that if people feel polarised and unsafe. That’s not a conducive environment and I need to invest a lot of energy into ensuring that there is healing and unity at UCT.

ND: Now is probably a good time to get into your leadership style. Please tell us about that.

MM: With leadership you have to learn the values, the principles and the framework. And each encounter that you need to lead is different because each story is different. But you need to have that value system, those principles that guide your leadership. For me, it’s generosity of spirit. If you don’t have that, you can’t lead people.

“If you really want to help other people do well, you need to have that generosity of spirit.”

Most of us are selfish and we can do well if we are looking out for ourselves. But if you really want to help other people do well, you need to have that generosity of spirit. And that is something that you learn very early on in your life, just like I did. You need to embody it, and to embody it, it needed to have been instilled in you very early on in your life. Generosity of spirit characterises my leadership style. You can call it servant leadership; you can call it many things. But it’s the kind of leadership that inspires us.

ND: As DVC at UKZN, your days were long and jam-packed. As VC at UCT, it’s likely to be no different, maybe even a bit more demanding. How do you destress and unwind after a chaotic day?

MM: For me, the best way to wind down after a long day is with exercise – spending time in the gym. I enjoy running; it’s the best form of exercise for me. And while I prefer road running, the reality is, sometimes it’s not easy or feasible because I often finish work too late. So, being in the gym is good, especially if I can get onto the treadmill, just mind my business and keep going.

“I also unwind by engaging in conversations with colleagues and friends and just listening to different stories.”

I also unwind by engaging in conversations with colleagues and friends and just listening to different stories. Those evening conversations inspire me, and they’re not possible to have during the day because it’s not easy to sit down and converse. So, I enjoy unwinding this way too.

ND: With a schedule like yours and we’ve established that it’s likely to get busier. Holiday time with the family must be sacred time. What’s your favourite holiday destination?

MM: I enjoy travelling and get the most joy out of experiencing new places and new cultures, which is why I don’t really have a place I return to repeatedly.

I’ve really enjoyed Mozambique and places in West Africa like Ghana and Senegal. Being in new places makes me look at the world differently and that’s exciting.

ND: South Africans love sport. What’s your sport of choice?

MM: I grew up playing soccer, like most kids in the village. Today, I enjoy both rugby and soccer and my first preference would be to watch these games live, even though I do watch them on TV. I also enjoy cricket and athletics.

ND: And your preferred drink?

MM: Water, always water, plain, still water. I drink a lot of water. On occasion I’ll have a cup of rooibos tea and if I had to choose a cold drink, it would probably be orange juice. I don’t drink coffee at all.

“I love jazz, South African jazz, because it carries the spirit of struggle and overcoming.”

ND: Do you enjoy listening to music? What’s your preferred genre?

MM: I love jazz, South African jazz, because it carries the spirit of struggle and overcoming. And I’m a little bit old school in that sense. So, even when I exercise, you’ll probably find me listening to jazz.

ND: Tell us about your all-time favourite book. You must have one.

“It highlights the promise of dreams and the dangers of being too confident about your success.”

MM: I do. It’s Chinua Achebe’s When things fall apart. When I came across that book, it changed the way I look at things. Besides the fact that it was very well written, it represented the experiences of an African person growing up. And it highlights the promise of dreams and the dangers of being too confident about your success, just because you seem destined to achieve success, it doesn’t mean you will. The wheel of fortune turns.