Nelson Mandela University has approved a new five-year research framework aimed at strengthening governance, leadership and development across South Africa and the wider region.
The Raymond Mhlaba Centre for Governance and Leadership (RMC), housed within the university’s Faculty of Humanities, has adopted its Research Agenda 2026–2030, setting out the priorities that will guide its research, advisory services and capacity-building initiatives over the next five years.
The agenda is designed to support the development of ethical, capable and effective governance while contributing to the university’s broader Vision 2030 objectives.
Four governance challenges at the centre of the agenda
Named after Raymond Mhlaba, the first Premier of the Eastern Cape, the RMC focuses on producing research that responds to governance and development challenges.
For the 2026–2030 period, the Centre has identified four key areas requiring sustained attention.
These include instability caused by coalition politics and leadership changes in local government, the gap between national and provincial policies and the capacity to implement them at local level, concerns around ethical conduct and public procurement, and growing climate and infrastructure pressures linked to extreme weather and water shortages.
The Centre says these challenges will provide the foundation for research and practical interventions over the coming five years.
Three strategic priorities
According to RMC acting director Dr Ongama Mtimka, the Centre’s work will be organised around three strategic focus areas.
The first, Reimagining Developmental Local Government, will concentrate on strengthening local governance, with particular attention to provinces including the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, as well as North West and Mpumalanga.
The second priority, Ethical, Capable and Transformational Leadership, will focus on accountability and leadership across what the Centre describes as the “quadruple helix” of government, business, academia and civil society.
The third, Resilience and Prosperity in Complex Systems, will examine issues such as intergovernmental relations, climate governance and the impact of technological change on development.
Research designed to deliver practical outcomes
The RMC says its agenda will go beyond academic research by linking each strategic priority to practical outputs.
These are expected to include diagnostic tools, leadership and training frameworks, and policy briefs intended to support decision-makers and other stakeholders.
Professor Pamela Maseko, chairperson of the Centre’s Advisory Board and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, said the research priorities reflect the Centre’s ambition to contribute more meaningfully to development in key provinces.
She also highlighted the importance of leadership and collective responsibility in addressing complex development challenges.
Expanded research and leadership programmes
The university’s new research agenda will also see the RMC expand its postdoctoral programme and research associate network.
Among its planned initiatives are new Short Learning Programmes and Leadership Fellowships, alongside formal partnerships with multilateral organisations and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).
The Centre also plans to establish an annual flagship public lecture series as part of its broader knowledge-sharing efforts.
Nelson Mandela University said the 2026–2030 agenda supports its Vision 2030 ambition of being a dynamic African university that generates knowledge capable of contributing to a socially just and sustainable future.
Through the RMC, the institution aims to connect research, leadership development and practical governance interventions with some of the major developmental challenges facing South Africa and the region.
