Gareth Cliff Slams Naledi Pandor’s Appointment as Nelson Mandela University Chancellor
- On Wednesday, 7 January 2026, Naledi Pandor was appointed as Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University
- Renowned South African broadcaster Gareth Cliff reacted strongly to Naledi Pandor’s new role
- In a separate post, Gareth Cliff also announced the return of The Gareth Cliff Show
Source: UGC
Renowned broadcaster Gareth Cliff has reacted to the appointment of former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor as Chancellor at Nelson Mandela University.
This comes days after Cliff ridiculed South African Medical Association (SAMA) Vice Chairperson Dr Zanele Bikitsha’s looks following a viral TV interview. This time, Gareth Cliff focused his attention on Naledi Pandor’s appointment as the Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University.
Gareth Cliff reacts to Naledi Pandor's Nelson Mandela University appointment
On Wednesday, 7 January 2026, the Chairperson of Nelson Mandela University, Judge Nambitha Dambuza, announced Pandor’s appointment as the Chancellor of the institution. Starting 1 April 2026, Naledi Pandor will serve as the institution’s chancellor for a four-year term.
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Gareth Cliff took to his official Instagram account hours after news of Naledi Pandor’s appointment had been announced. The former Idols South Africa judge shared a screenshot with his thoughts on Pandor’s appointment.
In an Instagram Story, Cliff indirectly criticised Pandor’s appointment, advising parents and guardians not to send their children to Nelson Mandela University, which he warned would be a waste of money and time. The post was captioned:
“Honestly, if you’re a parent and you’re thinking of sending your children to a university such as this, may I suggest you reconsider? They will come out poorer and dumber, and there will be nothing gained by you and your children.”
See the screenshot below:
Source: Instagram
Gareth Cliff confirms The Gareth Cliff Show return date
In a separate Instagram Story, Gareth Cliff, who put his show on ice following the untimely death of renowned broadcaster DJ Warras, announced the return of The Gareth Cliff Show.
Cliff shared a post from The Gareth Cliff Show's official Instagram account, announcing that the show would air its first episode of 2026 on Friday, 9 January. The post was captioned:
“Catch The Gareth Cliff Show this Friday (9th Jan) at 6 am-9 am with unfiltered and thought-provoking opinions about all things that matter.”
See the post below:
In the comments, fans of the show expressed excitement for its return.
Here are some of the comments:
missbeekaymo said:
“Can the 09th come already! 😫😫😫 What suffering is this!? Had to re-watch the last two episodes to keep myself sane. I feel lost, I am done with Blind History as well, so please understand my frustration 😫🙄 Don’t pardon my rant😊”
yondasm7 gushed:
“So much to unpack. I have been waiting.”
kasandrac13 cheered:
“Can’t wait! Great start to 2026 🙌”
Source: UGC
Gareth Cliff weighs in on Tembisa Hospital looting
Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported how Gareth Cliff tore into tenderpreneurs after the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) raided Hangwani Maumela’s Sandton home on 9 October 2025 as part of an operation to recover looted funds.
On Saturday, 11 October 2025, Gareth Cliff responded to a YouTuber's criticism of tenderpreneurs with a scathing nickname that prompted South African social media users to share their opinions.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
