Higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa have developed transformation agendas to align themselves with the requirements of government legislation and policies to bring about transformation in education, research and innovation. Few of those HEIs have transformed, and that lack of transformation has led to banality. Transformation is supposed to breed engagement, provoke reason on many of the issues confronting HEIs. This article highlights the role of transformation, by analysing missed or diverted opportunities in the academic milieu in postcolonial South Africa. Using the “eye-of-the-needle” theory and qualitative content analysis, the article undertakes discourse on transformation in HEIs, to reveal underlying delusions which gloss over the surface, to deceive the public about what is actually happening. The intention is to provoke debate about whether mediocre leadership and management in HEIs are tenable. Challenges of equity in respect of race and sex, curriculum decoloniality, digitalisation as a delivery mode of courses, to name a few, are being addressed and implemented gradually, but of fundamental importance is whether or not the leadership is encouraging academic criticism of the governance styles of mediocre leaders and managers. Is this being done without penalty for those who dare exercise their freedom to speak out? Among the findings, there was confirmation that transformation “through the eye of the needle” constituted a missed/diverted opportunity in HEIs. There is a need for creative and innovative, authentic and effective leadership/management traits, for transformation agendas to be achieved, and to counter mediocrity in institutions of higher learning.

Authors:
Madidimalo Richard Moila, University of South Africa, South Africa

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Madidimalo Richard Moila is currently a Senior Lecturer in Communication Science at the College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, South Africa. Understan team’s approach for better collaboration among members. Have outstanding communi

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