Retired Constitutional Court acting deputy chief justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga would like see greater access to Rhodes University, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
But Madlanga said this would have to be done while maintaining the high standards of the university.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the Makhanda university’s spring graduation ceremony and his inauguration as chancellor on Friday after the departure of judge Lex Mpati.
“I want to be a chancellor that will do the best I possibly can to follow the values of the university,” he said.
“I also have a passion for advancing the rights of the disadvantaged in our communities.”
Madlanga, who is chairing the commission of inquiry into alleged criminality, political interference and corruption in the justice system, did not take questions related to his work there and would not respond to questions on the general state of affairs in SA.
He described his appointment at Rhodes as “humbling and heartwarming”, especially because it was his alma mater.
“So, in a sense it is a homecoming for me,” he said.
When he was informed by the university’s council chair, judge Gerald Bloom, of his election, Madlanga said he was elated.
He said in the near future he would love Rhodes to continue what it had been doing but “perhaps to do even more to be accessible by those not only in its surrounds, but even further”.
“One would not want to see talented students being denied access to education because of their circumstances,” Madlanga said.
During his address, he paid tribute to Mpati, saying he had carried the spirit of integrity into the nation’s judiciary.
Madlanga said Mpati’s journey from student activism to one of SA’s most respected jurists stood as testament to the transformative power of education, grounded in fairness, service and courage.
“Beyond the courtroom, Justice Mpati continued to shape the moral and intellectual fabric of our nation through his leadership as chancellor of this institution, demonstrating that education is at its best when it cultivates both wisdom and character.”
In the decade ahead, Madlanga said Rhodes would stand not only as a place of learning, but as a model of what a deeply rooted, forward-looking African university could be.
“Our task is to transform without losing our essence to preserve the intimacy of a small collegial institution while expanding our research and our relevance.
“We will strengthen our commitment to excellence with equity, ensuring that every talented student, regardless of circumstance, can find opportunity here and flourish.”
He said Rhodes would also ensure that scholarships came alive in laboratory start-ups in classrooms and in communities, where knowledge was a catalyst for change.
“It is through the fusion of research and innovation that universities move societies forward, advancing technologies and empowering entrepreneurs and addressing grand challenges of our time.
“We will invest in digital transformation, building classrooms and laboratories that connect Makhanda and the Eastern Cape to the world while keeping our human connection at the centre of all we do.”
He said the Nanotechnology Institute, named after distinguished Prof Tebello Nyokong, that was opened last year was testimony to this commitment.
“From clean water innovations to climate resilience, from ethical journalism to digital literacy, our scholars must continue to answer the real questions.
“We must confront with courage and creativity — one of the greatest challenges facing our nation — youth unemployment.”
At Rhodes, he said students would not only be educated to seek jobs but to create them through innovation, digital literacy and enterprise development.
Graduates would be empowered to turn their ideas into ventures and their skills into livelihoods.
“Our purpose is to nurture entrepreneurial thinkers, graduates who see possibilities where others see limitations, and who carry forward the conviction that their education is not an end in itself but a means to build a more inclusive and dynamic economy.
“Above all, we will nurture a culture where learning and leadership remain inseparable.”
Madlanga said he was assuming his position with humility and hope.
“I’m mindful that the role of chancellor is not one of command but one of titular head.
“In that capacity I will do all that I can to contribute towards safeguarding the values that make this institution worthy of its history.
“My promise is simple — to listen before I speak and to serve before I lead.”
He said he wanted to be a champion of a university that continued to open its doors wider, think more boldly and act more justly.
Madlanga said it was a privilege to provide strategic guidance to the institution to continue to produce more worthy leaders who would be pioneers of innovation across various sectors in society.
“That, of course, I will only be able to do with all role players holding my hand.”
He said people in Makhanda worked and lived amid complex and humble realities, where water shortages reminded them daily of their shared vulnerability.
“Yet it is precisely in facing these conditions that Rhodes reveals its strength when the taps run dry.
“Our students and staff do not despair. They adapt. They design solutions. Share resources and learn the value of stewardship.
“The water crisis has become an education in sustainability and solidarity — a real time lesson in what it means to lead in both intellect and empathy.”
Bloom said Madlanga’s appointment represented not only a ceremonial transition but also the elevation of an individual whose life exemplified the transformative power of education, the pursuit of justice and unwavering commitment to constitutional democracy.
He said Madlanga’s journey from a rural village in KwaBhaca to the apex of SA’s judiciary stood as testament to his extraordinary intellectual capabilities and tenacity.
“His deep connection to the Eastern Cape and Rhodes makes this appointment a homecoming.”
Beyond his judicial accomplishments, Bloom said Madlanga had demonstrated a profound commitment to public service.
“What makes Justice Madlanga particularly worthy of this chancellorship is not simply his impressive curriculum vitae but rather the values he embodies.
“He represents the ideals to which Rhodes aspires, including academic excellence, social justice, intellectual leadership and service to society.”
Rhodes vice-chancellor Prof Sizwe Mabizela said Madlanga would build on a strong foundation created by his predecessors but would also chart his own course.
The Herald
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