Leadership and Governance Challenges in African Universities! Call for Transformative Leadership! A Case of Universities in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This paper considers some of the new realities that are likely to affect higher (tertiary) education, particularly those arising from globalization of education systems demanding a re-focus on leadership and governance issues in Africa. The paper then explores the role that leadership and governance play in helping institutions to address the new realities, pivoted on transformational paradigms, particularly as change impacts on institutional culture and functioning. Reality has always been somewhat at odds with these liberal ideals which contradict with the view that universities should be more accountable while increasing their autonomy-a paradoxical philosophy in itself. The assertion of collegial processes of democracy and transformative tissues (here defined as systems) should be replaced by stronger corporate management; and that universities should act less as critics of society and more as servants responding to the needs of the economy, promising to supply qualified and expert human resources and 'useful' research in response to market demands. The need to move away from traditional management systems which had no flavour for leadership vibes is a thing of the past. I am of the opinion that universities require leadership (not over-administration or heavy corporate management); that responsibilities need to be delegated down from the centre on the basis of trust and with a particular emphasis upon the importance of leadership at the middle level; and that academics and administrators need to work together in new ways that go beyond the traditional model of academic ministers and administrators who are bound by regulations ,some of them created wrongly and to perpetuate self-interests and not interests of the very institutions and society at large.  Hence, I am advocating for transformative dynamics in university leadership and governance systems. Notwithstanding these pressures for change, Universities in Africa need to embraces change as part of their culture and impress upon on societal gains. The elitist thinking occupying the minds of many universities' leadership does not add value to knowledge production and consumption. A qualitative –phenomenological paradigm was adopted in which leadership and governance systems in Zimbabwe Universities were interrogated. The findings indicate high level of governance crisis in African Universities. The study therefore has recommended the need for the adoption of a transformational culture embedded in ubuntu philosophy that promotes exploitation of indigenous knowledge systems.