Office Bearers and Eminent Persons
Office Bearers and Eminent Persons include the Officers of the University, Honorary Graduates, Professors Emeriti, and Former Officers of the University.
Office Bearers and Eminent Persons include the Officers of the University, Honorary Graduates, Professors Emeriti, and Former Officers of the University.
| 
 Chancellor  | 
 Dr NJ Dlamini MBChB (Natal) DBL (Unisa) MBA (Witwatersrand) IEC (USA)  | 
| 
 Vice-Chancellor and Principal  | 
 Professor Z Vilakazi BSc (Manchester) MSc PhD (Witwatersrand) MASSAf, FAAS, FRS  | 
| 
 Chairman of Council  | 
 Mr I Shongwe BA (Wesleyan) MPhil (Oxford)  | 
| 
 Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)  | 
 Professor R Osman BA (Witwatersrand) HDipEd BEd (Unisa) MEd PhD (Witwatersrand) MASSAf  | 
| 
 Deputy Vice-Chancellor  | 
 Professor Lynn Morris BScHons (Witwatersrand), DPhil (Oxford)  | 
| 
 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Systems and Operations)  | 
 Professor Ian Jandrell BSc(Eng) GDE PhD (Witwatersrand) IntPE(SA) PrEng FSAAE FSAIEE SMIEEE  | 
| 
 Registrar  | 
 Ms CG Crosley BA HDipEd (Witwatersrand) BEd Hons (Unisa) MEd (Witwatersrand)  | 
| 
 Dean of Student Affairs  | 
 Mr JAP September BA MPhil (Cape Town)  | 
| 
 President of Convocation  | 
 Kgomotso Mufamadi BA LLB LLM (Witwatersrand)  | 
Faculty Dean(s): | 
 
  | 
| 
 Commerce, Law and Management  | 
 Professor J Cohen BComHons, PhD (Witwatersrand)  | 
| 
 Engineering and the Built Environment  | 
 Professor Thokozani Majozi BSc(Eng), MSc(Eng), PhD, PrEng, MASSAf, FWISA, FSAAE  | 
| 
 Health Sciences  | 
 Professor SA Madhi MBBCh MMed PhD (Witwatersrand) FCPaeds(SA)  | 
| 
 Humanities  | 
 Professor Mucha Musemwa BAHons, MA, PhD (Minnesota)  | 
| 
 Science  | 
 Professor N Chetty BSc Hons (Natal) MS PhD (Urbana-Champaign) MSAIP MASSAf  | 
These are academic degrees that Wits awards for which the usual requirements are waived. It is awarded honoris causa (Latin: "for the sake of the honour"). Visit the Alumni website for a list of honorary graduates over the years.
1922-1938: HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught
KG PC KT GCMG KCVOCB Governor-General of the Union of South Africa
1939-1948: Hon Jan H Hofmeyr
BA BSc MA (CGH) MA (Oxon) HonDSc (Cape Town) HonDCL (Oxon) MP
1949-1961: The Hon Richard Feetham
CMG QC MA (Oxon) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1962-1974: The Hon Oliver Deneys Schreiner
MC MA (Cantab) HonLLD (Witwatersrand, Cape Town)
1975-1982: Bertrand Leon Bernstein
BAHons LLB HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1982-1996: Aanon Michael Rosholt
CA(SA) HonDEcon (Natal) HonFCM (SA) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1997-2007: The Hon Richard Goldstone
BA LLB (Witwatersrand)
2006-2012: The Hon Justice D Moseneke
BA Bluris LLB (Unisa)
(Note: Since 1948 the offices of Vice-Chancellor and Principal have been held by the same person)
1922-1925: Sir Robert N Kotzé
BA (CGH) HonDSc (Cape Town) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1926-1929: Hon Jan H Hofmeyr
BA BSc MA (CGH) MA (Oxon) HonDSc (Cape Town) HonDCL (Oxon) MP
1930-1937: Henry J Hofmeyr
BA (CGH) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1937-1938: Sir Robert N Kotzé
BA (CGH) HonDSc (Cape Town) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1938-1947: Hon Richard Feetham
CMG QC MA (Oxon) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1948-1953: Humphrey R Raikes
AFC MA (Oxon) HonLLB (Bristol) HonLLD (Cantab, Toronto, Cape Town) HonDSc (Witwatersrand)
1954-1962: William G Sutton
BAHons BSc (Eng) (Cape Town) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1963-1968: Ian D MacCrone
BA MA (Cape Town) MA (Oxon) DPhil HonLLD (Witwatersrand, Rhodes)
1969-1977: Guerino R Bozzoli
BSc (Eng) DSc (Eng) HonLLD (Witwatersrand, Cape Town) PrEng HonFSAIEE HonFRSSAf
1978-1983: Daniel J du Plessis
MB ChB (Cape Town) ChM HonLLD (Witwatersrand) FRCS (Eng) FACS (Hon) HonFCS (SA)
1984-1987: Karl Tober
Bearer of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art (First Class) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1987-1997: Robert W Charlton
BSc MBBch MD (Witwatersrand) FRCP (Edin) FRSSAf
1998-2001: Colin J Bundy
BA (Natal) BAHons (Witwatersrand) MPhil DPhil (Oxon) Hon DLitt (Manchester Metropolitan)
2001-2002: Norma G Reid Birley
BSc MSc (Sus) DPhil (Ulster) FSS FRSA
2003-2013: Loyiso Nongxa
BScHons MSc (UFH) DPhil (Oxon)
2014 – 2020: Adam Habib
BA (Natal), BA (Hons) (Witwatersrand), MA (Natal), MPhil (New York), PhD (New York)  
2021 – Present: Professor Z Vilakazi
 BSc (Manchester) MSc PhD (Witwatersrand) MASSAf, FAAS, FRS
1922-1923: The Right Hon Jan H Hofmeyr
BA BSc MA (CGH) MA (Oxon) HonDSc (Cape Town) HonDCL (Oxon) MP
1925-1927: Sir William Thomson
Kt MA BScHons HonLLD (Edinburgh)
1928-1953: Humphrey R Raikes
AFC MA (Oxon) HonLLB (Bristol) HonLLD (Cantab, Toronto, Cape Town) HonDSc (Witwatersrand)
1922-1939: Sir William Dalrymple
 KBE VD HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1940-1954: P M Anderson
 BSc (Eng) (CGH) HonDSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand)
1955-1959: F E Kanthack
 CMG HonDSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand)
1960-1968: B L Bernstein
 BA Hons LLB HonLLD (Witwatersrand) 
1969-1972: M W Richards
 MA (Cantab) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1973-1978: F G Hill
 BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) MA (Oxon) HonDPhil (UPE) HonLLD (Witwatersrand) PrEng
1978-1988: N Stutterheim
 BSc (Eng) DSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) HonDSc (Cape Town) HonLLD (Witwatersrand) PrEng
1989-1996: S A G Anderson
 BSc (Rhodes) BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand)
1996-1997: The Hon Mr Justice FC Bam
 BSc (Rhodes) BA (Cape Town) BProc LLB (Unisa)
1998-2008: Judge Cameron
 BA (Stellenbosch) LLB (Unisa) BA (Civil Law) (Oxford) MA (Oxford)
2008-2013: S Macozoma
 BA Hons (Unisa)
1922-1935: H W J van der Brugge
 BA MA LLB (Unisa) 
1936-1953: I Glyn Thomas
 MA (Oxon) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1954-1975: A de V Herholdt
 BCom HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1923-1924: H J Hofmeyr
 BA (CGH) HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1925-1926: Professor C M Drennan
 MA (Cantab)
1927-1928: Professor J A Wilkinson
 MA (Cantab) MIChemE
1929: Professor R F A Hoernlé
 MA BSc (Oxon)
1930-1932: T A Lawrie
 BCom (Witwatersrand)
1933-1936: Professor R F A Hoernlé
 MA BSc (Oxon)
1937-1946: W Grant MacKenzie
 BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) 
1947-1948: S Suzman
 BSc BCom (Witwatersrand)
1949-1952: W H Milton
 BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand)
1953-1954: W E Marsh
 BCom (Witwatersrand) CA(SA)
1955-1956: J Morris
 BCom (Witwatersrand) CA(SA) 
1957-1964: Professor S S Israelstam
 BScHons MSc PhD (Witwatersrand) HonMSAChemI FRSC CChem SciNat TTD
1965-1966: C Adler
 MB BCh DPhysMed HonLLD (Witwatersrand)
1967-1970: V C Robinson
 BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) PrEng MIMM MSAIMM
1971-1974: S C Newman
 BSc (Eng) MSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) MA (Oxon) PrEng MIMM
1975-1978: C G Hovelmeier
 BCom (Witwatersrand) CA(SA) FCIS
1979-1982: D E Greig
 BArch MArch PhD (Witwatersrand) MIA RegArch (SA) ARIBA
1983-1986: H Lampert
 BSc (Eng) (Witwatersrand) PrEng FSAIMM
1987-1992: E N Finsen
 BArch DipTP (Witwatersrand) MIA ARIBA RegArch (SA) MCSSA FCA
1992-1994: H Heydt
 BDS (Witwatersrand) FICD
1994-1996: D A Young
 BSc (Witwatersrand) BEd (Unisa) MEd (Witwatersrand) TTHD
1996-1998: R T Hunter
 BA LLB LLM (Witwatersrand)
1998-2002: Professor J Shochot
 BSc Hons (Witwatersrand) MCSSA
2002-2006: G S Mseleku
 BA LLB LLM (Taxation) HDipCoLaw (Witwatersrand) FInstD
2006-2010: Professor D L Kolitz
 BCom (Natal) BComHons (Unisa) MCom (Witwatersrand)
2010-2011: I May
2011-2016: Professor M Phakeng
 B.A. (Ed) (UNW) B. Ed (Witwatersrand) M.Ed. (Witwatersrand) PhD (Witwatersrand)
1972-1974: E L Huddle
 BCom (SA) ACIS
1970-1975: J A King
 BSc (Cape Town)
1975-1978: G E S Burns
1976-1983: E E Glover
 BA(Hons) (Belfast) MBA (Strath) MIPM
1976-1986: Col S C Smith
 BSc (Eng) Hons MSc (Lond) PrEng CEng MIMeche MSAIMechE FINUCE FBIM
1976-1994: K W Standenmacher
 BA (Rhodes)
1995-1996: B A Dickson
 BSc (Unisa) PGCE (Cantab) RPP
1995-2010: D K Swemmer
 BAHons MA (Pret) DLitt et Phil (Unisa) TTHD (JCE)
2011-2013: K S Menon
 BA Hons (UDW) Hons (Unisa) MBA (De Montfort)