Nust Vice chancellor Prof Dlodlo starts work

By Auxilia Katongomara

The National University of Science and Technology (Nust) Vice Chancellor, Professor Mqhele Dlodlo, started work this Tuesday but could not outline his vision, a month after his appointment.

Professor Dlodlo who was based in South Africa, was unveiled to the media yesterday for a brief photo session.He did not outline his vision for the institution as Nust communications director Mr Felix Moyo barred the media from asking questions.

“This is a session for you to have photographs that you have been pestering me for so that you can have your own bank of photographs. It’s for you to have photographs and to meet the Vice Chancellor,” said Mr Moyo.

Prof Dlodlo said he would soon be outlining his vision.

“Thank you very much for coming to meet me. I have noticed that I’ve been a rumour. I have seen pictures of me taken from the wires some of which were just social. At least now you are taking pictures of the Vice Chancellor in his boardroom which I think is a fair statement. The university is getting more complete at the executive level.

What we want to promise outright is that there will be a time for you to gather then we can talk about my vision, Nust’s vision and how we plan to move forward from where we are at the moment. Like any institution we have dreams of where we want to get and how we will get there,” said Prof Dlodlo.

It later emerged that it was Mr Moyo who decided that Prof Dlodlo should not be asked questions as the Vice Chancellor queried why the media was leaving without asking him questions.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed Prof Dlodlo as Nust substantive Vice Chancellor in February.He has been serving notice at the University of Cape Town where he was working.

The university has been operating without a substantive Vice Chancellor since the expiry of the late Prof Lindela Ndlovu’s contract in 2015.

The university’s Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Samson Sibanda has been acting since then.

Prof Dlodlo served as a principal lecturer and head of the Electrical Craft Department at Bulawayo Polytechnic from 1983 to 1992.

In 2000, he joined Nust as a senior lecturer in the department of Electronic Engineering before being promoted to the post of Dean in the Faculty of Industrial Technology, a post he held between May 2002 and December 2003.

He joined the University of Cape Town as an Associate Professor in January 2005 and also served as Assistant Dean in Internationalisation from January 2011 to December 2015. The Chronicle