A former Port Elizabeth pharmacist and 1980s’ activist has been elected vice-chancellor of the University of Johannesburg – a far cry from the days he used to spend sitting next to the ocean looking for a balance in his life.

Dr Ihron Rensburg was elected as the first permanent vice-chancellor and principal of the institution at a meeting last month.

The university’s spokesman, Sonia Cronje, said the council was impressed by Rensburg’s vision for the future of the institution and that all constituents had pledged their support for him.

He said he was aware of his duties and responsibilities.

“I am humbled, honoured and deeply aware of the leadership responsibility that the council has placed on me.”

Rensburg said his duties as vice-chancellor included being responsible for all the university’s academic operations.

Rensburg was born in PE in 1960. He attended primary school at De Vos Malan and went to South End High until it was shut down. He then finished school at Paterson High.

He obtained a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Rhodes in 1981. In 1994 he obtained a Masters in Political Sociology at Stanford University in California before reading for his PhD in International Comparative Development at the same institution in 1996.

“I started my career as a pharmacist intern and later as a clinical pharmacist at Livingstone Hospital and later joined Winky Ximiya, who owned KwaZakhele Pharmacies.”

But due to the state of emergency and detention without trial, Rensburg spent nearly five years being detained in various police stations and at St Albans Prison.

“As a political activist, I worked closely with leaders of the Port Elizabeth Youth Congress and Port Elizabeth Black Civic Organisation (Pebco), trade union movements, education movements Cosas, Sasco, and religious movements.”

After his release from political detention, Rensburg left PE to work as general secretary of the National Education Crisis Committee in Johannesburg.

He said one of his fond memories about PE was watching the waves at the sea after being released from prison.

“Whenever I was released from prison I would go to the sea because it was the powerful part of finding a balance in my life – just the smell and watching the waves.”

He added he also missed the days when his late mother used to walk him to school.

“She was a domestic worker, and she used to make sure that everything was prim and proper,” Rensburg said.

He said he was arrested because the apartheid government saw him and other activists as threats to the regime.

“They regarded everything that we did as revolutionary. We were against Bantu education and they wanted to destroy us.”

Rensburg says he still comes to PE to visit his family.

“I do go to PE for lots of activities, but it’s mostly for burials and imigidi (homecoming ceremonies for initiates).”

Rensburg is chief executive for strategic corporate service at the SABC, and his duties as vice-chancellor will start on March 1.

The deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Derek van der Merwe, will act as vice-chancellor until Rensburg takes over.