Former VC Mamphela Ramphele launches political party platform

Alumna and former UCT vice-chancellor Dr Mamphela Ramphele yesterday announced her return to the political stage following the launch of her political party platform, Agang (Sepedi for 'build'), widely believed to be a challenge to the ruling African National Congress.

Ramphele joined the university as a research fellow in 1986 and was appointed as one of its deputy vice-chancellors in 1991, the same year she received her PhD in social anthropology from the university.

Her appointment as UCT's seventh vice-chancellor in September 1996 made her the first black woman to hold such a high rank at a South African university.

She resigned from the position in 2000 to take up an appointment as one of the four managing directors of the World Bank.