Dr Molefe Maleka, the new eMalahleni Campus Rector.
Dr Maleka is an experienced academic and a well-known face on the University’s corridors. Since he joined TUT as lecturer at the eMalahleni Campus in August 2011, he has climbed the ladder to becoming an academic manager and later senior lecturer at the Department of People Management and Development. He was also appointed HoD for the same department for a five-year period at the Pretoria Campus between 2014 to 2019.
Dr Maleka is a seasoned lecturer in Labour Relations and also teaches Research Methodology to students from B Tech to post-graduate level. Despite his increased daily managerial responsibilities, he is committed to continue supervising students and conducting academic responsibilities as required.
His primary goals as the Campus Rector, include playing a leading role in academic and campus stability, creating a conducive environment for student growth and development, enhancing a steady growth in student numbers and the improvement of campus facilities and infrastructure where needed. “Though some goals might be challenging, each one achieved will contribute to my vision for the eMalahleni Campus to become the flagship distant higher education campus. In addition, we would like the campus to become a model of academic excellence in our region offered from diploma to doctorate level. I am a firm advocate of education being the only instrument that can combat poverty in any society,” says Dr Maleka.
“Education is the passport to a better, improved and decent life,” he adds.
As a TUT alumnus, he is a primary example of the doors that education can open. Dr Maleka obtained a B-Tech in Human Resource Management from TUT and completed a range of other qualifications including a Master’s Degree (University of Johannesburg), a MBA Degree (Haaga-Heila University of Applied Sciences) and a Doctoral Degree (UNISA).
Dr Maleka views the implementation of TUT’s ISP 2020-2025 plan as the foundation for his duties as the Campus Rector. Achieving these strategic goals, will assist the campus to continuously improve on strategic requirements such as sustainability, inclusiveness, research outputs, teaching and learning, as well as social responsiveness.
“God gave me the ability to excel academically as a student, lecturer and study leader. He also blessed me with an opportunity to become a manager, leader and vital role player. I aim to establish a legacy of encouragement, successes and outstanding academic achievement for the eMalahleni Campus,” Dr Maleka concluded.