The Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, has announced the appointment of two astute academics to influential positions.
They are Dr Kelebogile Choice Makhetha, as the executive director in the office of the vice-chancellor and principal; and Rajesh Mahabeer as chairperson of the CUT Council.
Both Makhetha and Mahabeer took office on 1 November.
Makhetha’s term at the CUT will end on 31 October 2029. She was previously with the University of the Free State (UFS) and recently Stellenbosch University (SU) in the Western Cape. She is excited to return to the CUT, where she served as the transformation advisor from January 2018 to July 2019.
Makhetha had a stint of five years and three months as the senior director of student affairs at SU. She has over 21 years of work experience within the public higher education sector in South Africa, with 17 of those years at senior and executive levels.
Mahabeer
Makhetha was the vice-rector of student affairs and external relations at the UFS. She was responsible for student affairs, internationalisation (including diplomatic relations), community engagement, government relations (at local, provincial, and national levels), and broader external relations. The university’s Qwaqwa and South campuses reported to and through her office as well.
Mahabeer’s term as the new chairperson of the CUT Council will end on 31 October 2027. He replaced Dr Charity Mbileni-Morema, whose tenure ended on March 2024, having served since September last year following the abrupt resignation of Matthew Rantsho.
The university stated that Mahabeer brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to higher education and governance in line with the mission of the CUT.
Before this appointment, Mahabeer served as chairperson of the Audit, Risk and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Governance Committee (ARIC) of the CUT Council, and as a member of the Remuneration Committee (RemCo).
“Cllr Mahabeer is a professor of practice at the Johannesburg Business School and University of Johannesburg (UJ). He is an accomplished leader with an extensive background in the finance sector. He is a business turnaround specialist and is currently working on his PhD in Corporate Decline Avoidance and Turnaround Strategy at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). He serves on various boards, where he lends corporate expertise in governance, finance, auditing, accounting, and?strategic leadership,” said Seithati Semenokane, spokesperson for the CUT.
According to the university, Mahabeer stands out as a senior chartered accountant with experience spanning 46 years of diverse financial and leadership roles in the public and private sectors.
