The Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT) Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Cllr Rajesh Mahabeer as the new Chairperson of the CUT Council, with effect from 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2027. Cllr Mahabeer brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to higher education, governance, and the mission of CUT. 

Cllr Mahabeer is a Professor of Practice at the Johannesburg Business School, University of Johannesburg (UJ). He is an accomplished leader with an extensive background in the finance sector. He is a business turnaround specialist, and is currently working on his PhD in Corporate Decline Avoidance and Turnaround Strategy at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). He serves on various boards, where he lends corporate expertise in governance, finance, auditing, accounting, and strategic leadership.  

Before this appointment, Cllr Mahabeer served as Chairperson of the Audit, Risk and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Governance Committee (ARIC) of the CUT Council, and as a member of the Remuneration Committee (RemCo).  

He is a Senior Chartered Accountant, with experience spanning 46 years of diverse financial and leadership roles in the public and private sectors. For 25 years, he was a C-suite executive in large corporations such as AECI, Tetra Pak International, OTH Beier & Company, and Hart Limited. He further held Chief Financial Officer (CFO) positions at Walter Sisulu University (WSU), the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA), and South African National Parks, and was nominated for the Best CFO in the Public Sector Award by CFO South Africa in 2017.  

His qualifications include a CA(SA), FCMA, CGMA, FCA (England and Wales), BFP, FCCA, CIA, FIIASA, MInstD, SARIPA, INSOL, MBA (Derby), MCom (University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), PGDip Acc. (UKZN), and NDip Cost Acc. (Durban University of Technology (DUT)). 

Cllr Mahabeer is an expert in turning financially distressed companies around, with sustainable results, and is a restructuring expert. He is a scholar of systems thinking, and applies this methodology to solve complex problems. He is also a registered Senior Business Rescue Practitioner.  

He currently serves on the Education Committee of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA), as well as the Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)’s Global Committee for Accountants in Business of the Association.  

He also serves as a non-executive director on several boards; chairs audit and risk committees; and is a member of the boards of directors of the Office of Health Standards Compliance, Onderstepoort Biological Products, and now CUT, amongst others.

Cllr Mahabeer was recently appointed as the Independent Chairperson of the Audit and Risk Committee of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MMDA). He further serves as an independent member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the South African Health Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). He previously served on the Committee for Auditor Ethics, and the Accreditation Committee of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA).  

He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Trilord Consulting (Pty) Ltd (Trilord), a multidisciplinary consulting firm with advanced skills and strategic leadership experience at the C-suite. Attributable to his professional background, he brings a wealth of experience in corporate governance, King IV, strategy, auditing, accounting, finance, ICT, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Standards of Generally Recognised Accounting Practice (GRAP), taxation, legal matters, ethics, and human resources, amongst others, to the boards he serves.  

He succeeds Dr Charity Mbileni-Morema, who served with dedication and led the CUT Council through significant developments until the end of her term on 31 October 2024. 

Cllr Mahabeer said that he is honoured to serve as Chairperson of the CUT Council. He is confident that the university has a bright future, and that it will play an increasingly important role to all its stakeholders, including its students and graduates. Despite certain challenges in the past, the university has achieved much, and it holds its place in the higher education sector with pride. Cllr Mahabeer added that he is enthusiastic to be part of the journey of growth, innovation, and the repositioning of CUT. He is excited to be part of the university community, and believes that, as a collective, CUT shall claim its place as a leading university in South Africa.  

On behalf of the entire CUT community, we extend our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Cllr Mahabeer on his appointment as Chairperson of Council. His extensive experience, vision, and commitment to advancing higher education are truly inspiring, and we are confident that his leadership will guide us into a bright and promising future.