We understand that you may have questions about what these developments mean for you and your relationship with our University. We also bemoan the humiliating experiences that our brothers and sisters had to endure during and after 30 June 2026 and thank the civil society organisations and staff and students who extended support in the massive humanitarian effort in the Metro and Province.
We wish to reassure you that Nelson Mandela University remains firmly committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment for all who are lawfully studying, teaching, conducting research, working and collaborating at our institution.
As the only university in the world to bear the name of Nelson Mandela, we are guided by the values that defined his life and legacy: human dignity, Ubuntu, social justice, respect for diversity, solidarity across difference and the belief that education should bring people together across cultures, nations and communities. These values continue to inform our actions and our commitment to every member of our University community.
South Africa’s immigration legislation and its implementation remain the responsibility of the national government. Nelson Mandela University fully supports compliance with South African law and respects the role of the relevant authorities in administering immigration processes. At the same time, we recognise and deeply value the significant contribution that international students, academics, professional and support staff, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scholars and research collaborators make to our institution and to South African higher education more broadly.
International members of our University community are integral to who we are. Through your scholarship, teaching, leadership, creativity, innovation and lived experiences, you enrich learning and teaching, advance research and knowledge production, strengthen community engagement, and deepen connections across Africa and the wider world. Your presence enhances our collective capacity to address the complex challenges facing our societies and contributes to building a more just, sustainable and peaceful future.
We are aware that public debate can sometimes create perceptions that differ from the lived experience within our University community. We therefore encourage students, staff, scholars, collaborators and families to seek information through official University communication channels. Should you require clarification or assistance, the relevant University support structures remain available to provide guidance on admissions, registration, immigration documentation, mobility programmes and student and staff support services.
To prospective students, academics, researchers and partners considering Nelson Mandela University as your academic home or partner institution, we want you to know that our commitment to internationalisation, African scholarship and global engagement remains unwavering. We continue to welcome students, scholars and collaborators from across Africa and the world who wish to learn, discover, innovate and contribute to building a better future together.
Our Vision 2030 commits us to being a dynamic African university recognised for excellence, innovation and social impact. Internationalisation is central to that vision. We remain committed to fostering a diverse academic community in which every person is treated with dignity, fairness and respect and is able to flourish intellectually, professionally and personally.
We also wish to affirm our enduring commitment to our colleagues, partner institutions, collaborators, alumni and friends across the African continent. Nelson Mandela University has long understood itself as part of a broader African intellectual and social project - one founded on cooperation, mutual learning and shared aspirations for human development, democracy, justice and peace. The relationships we have built across our continent are among our most valued assets, and we remain committed to strengthening these bonds of solidarity and collaboration.
We thank our international students, staff, alumni, collaborators, partners and families, as well as our many colleagues and friends across Africa and beyond, for the trust you place in Nelson Mandela University. Your partnership enriches our institution and strengthens our shared commitment to knowledge, human dignity, social justice and the public good.
We remain committed to ensuring that Nelson Mandela University continues to be a place where all who study, teach, conduct research, work and collaborate can thrive in an environment characterised by inclusion, academic excellence, mutual respect and a deep appreciation of our common humanity.
We look forward to welcoming new students and scholars, continuing to support our international community, and deepening the relationships that connect us across Africa and the world as valued members of the Nelson Mandela University family.
Our country will do well to be reminded that we hosted the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban 2001. The declaration of that watershed event, in part of its introduction, states that:
Drawing inspiration from the heroic struggle of the people of South Africa against the institutionalised system of apartheid, as well as for equality and justice under democracy, development, the rule of law and respect for human rights, recalling in this context the important contribution to that struggle of the international community and, in particular, the pivotal role of the people and Governments of Africa, and noting the important role that different actors of civil society, including non-governmental organisations, played in that struggle and in ongoing efforts to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; [and] Joining together in a spirit of renewed political will and commitment to universal equality, justice and dignity, we salute the memory of all victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance all over the world and solemnly adopt the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.
Professor Sibongile Muthwa
Vice-Chancellor