Barry Streek
Wilmot James, once the hot favourite to become the new principal of the University of Cape Town (UCT), has resigned from the powerful position of dean of humanities at the university.
After barely a year in office, he quit after he failed to be placed on the two- person shortlist for the position of vice- chancellor and principal of UCT.
James, the former executive director of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa), confirmed to the Mail & Guardian that he had resigned.
However, he would not elaborate beyond saying: “I confirm that I have offered to resign as the dean of the faculty, but not as professor. The terms of that are now being negotiated.”
James intends taking a year’s paid and unpaid leave at the end of June to write a book on the first five years of democracy in South Africa.
When he took up his position as dean of humanities at the beginning of last year, it was widely speculated that he would be the next vice-chancellor of UCT.
After it was announced that Mamphele Ramphele would be leaving the university to join the World Bank, it was assumed in many circles that James would succeed her.
In the end, James did not apply for the post but he was nominated for it.
After a lengthy selection process, he was overlooked and Njabulo Ndebele, the former vice-chancellor of the University of the North, and David Maughan Brown, the deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Natal, were chosen for the shortlist. The selection panel for the top post could announce a decision as early as next week.
James’s tenure as dean of humanities was not a happy one. He immediately became involved in a retrenchment conflict and many of the academics in the faculty were alienated by his actions.
He also became increasingly frustrated with the bureaucratic demands of his position, which left him little room for writing and research.
James is non-executive director of Independent Newspapers Cape and of David Philip Publishers. He is also a member of Idasa’s board and a trustee of the New York-based Ford Foundation.