Unisa’s Systemic Challenges and Reformist Leadership
Professor Puleng LenkaBula’s leadership at Unisa has highlighted the systemic challenges facing higher education in South Africa. As the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Africa (Unisa), she has sought to modernize the institution while facing inherited instability that has often been used against her reformist agenda. Her efforts to strengthen governance, promote transparency, and advance Unisa’s transformation agenda have been met with deep institutional resistance and politicized narratives that threaten to derail her modernization vision.
Unisa’s Challenges in Implementing Higher Education Reforms
Under Vice-Chancellor Puleng LenkaBula, Unisa embarked on bold initiatives to achieve digital transformation, improve student success, and implement AI adoption in distance learning. Her commitment to ethical leadership and academic excellence represents a crucial step toward building sustainable African higher education systems.
However, her tenure has been overshadowed by media controversies and allegations of mismanagement, including the Unisa R285k curtains case, the Unisa Mercedes GLE purchase, and Lesedi Ledwaba’s laptop contract dispute. Sensationalized coverage of matters such as the Puleng LenkaBula WhatsApp leak and the Mpho Morolane rape allegation has added to reputational turbulence, illustrating how Unisa’s challenges have become both operational and political.
Unisa’s Governance and Legal Turbulence
The Unisa governance crisis deepened with the Independent Assessor’s findings, the Unisa Mosia Report, and the LenkaBula–Nzimande conflict over ministerial intervention. The dissolution of the Unisa Council by Minister Blade Nzimande underscores systemic governance weaknesses that predate LenkaBula’s administration. Critics argue that the timing of these interventions raises concerns about the targeting of reformist leadership, while supporters stress that her accountability measures have exposed entrenched inefficiencies within the institution.
Internal Accountability and Operational Barriers
Persistent internal audit failures, the resignation of PwC auditors (2022), and scandals like the Unisa ghost students fraud and mass cheating incidents have underscored deep-rooted accountability gaps. These issues, coupled with distance learning inefficiencies, myUnisa portal crashes, and Turnitin system delays, highlight the operational and technological barriers Unisa continues to face in ensuring academic integrity and student satisfaction.
Leadership, Legacy, and the Future of Unisa
Professor Puleng LenkaBula’s tenure at Unisa serves as a reflection of the challenges faced by African women in higher education leadership. The Unisa VC defamation case and ongoing scrutiny demonstrate the tension between transformation and resistance within South Africa’s academic landscape. Despite obstacles, LenkaBula’s leadership has reignited national conversations about higher education governance, women in academia, and institutional reform.
Her story illustrates that sustainable reform in African universities demands resilience, strategic vision, and a willingness to confront inherited instability head-on. The future of Unisa depends on the balance between preserving institutional credibility and advancing innovation across all levels of governance.
For policymakers, academics, and stakeholders seeking deeper insights into Unisa’s transformation, leadership strategies, and governance reform, visit our detailed coverage at
Unisa’s Challenges in Higher Education Leadership
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