Biography

Born and bred in Bizana, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Primary and secondary education in Bizana, and matriculated from Bizana Village High School in 1991.

Joined the Faculty of Health Sciences of the then University of Transkei (Now Walter Sisulu University) in 1992 and graduated with MBChB in 1997.

Completed Internship in Mthatha General Hospital in 1998.

Joined Frontier Hospital in Queenstown and Dordrecht Hospital, to perform community service in 1999.

Obtained Diploma in Child Health through the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa in October 1999.

Became a Medical Officer in Paediatrics at King Edward VIII Hospital in January year 2000.

Six months later, (July 2000) appointed as a Registrar in Paediatrics in UKZN.

Passed the Fellowship of Paediatricians of South Africa (FC Paed (SA) in 2003.

Moved back to Frontier Hospital where was appointed as Head of Paediatrics Department in Juy 2004.

Accepted in Paediatric Cardiology CH-Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Wits, JHB in November 2005.

Obtained the Certificate in Cardiology (SA) through the College of Paediatricians of South Africa in 2008.

Moved back to the Eastern Cape (Port Elizabeth) 2009.

Appointed at Dora Nginza Hospital as a Paediatric Cardiologist in February 2009 and as HOD, Paediatrics in March 2009.

Admitted as a Fellow of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, USA (FSCAI) in December 2014.

In January 2016, appointed as Associate Professor of Paediatrics, WSU, Port Elizabeth Teaching Satelite.

Appointed as Executive Dean, on 1 January 2017, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nelson Mandela University.

President of the Paediatric Cardiac Society of South Africa; Vice President of the South African Heart Association and Executive Member of the South African Paediatric Association.

Appointed as Chairperson in June 2020 at the Council for Medical Schemes. 

Statement by the Vice-Chancellor: Professor Sibongile Muthwa

It is with great sadness and an immense sense of loss that we at Nelson Mandela University learned of the passing of our Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Professor Lungile Pepeta.

His passing is not only a great loss to the University, which is gearing up to launch its medical school, but to the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Eastern Cape and country.

Professor Pepeta joined the University on 1 January 2017 as the vision for establishing a medical school that offers an alternative educational model towards meeting the country’s growing need for health professionals was gaining momentum.

As a renown Paediatric Cardiologist, he had extensive experience in working with key stakeholders in the health and higher education sector, provincially, nationally, continentally and beyond. More recently, he helped spearhead the University’s response to COVID-19 within the institution, in communities and society at large, working with healthcare professionals, and education, business and political leadership.

Professor Pepeta was extremely passionate and committed to South Africa’s health sector, particularly in the Eastern Cape, where he was raised, studied and spent the bulk of his illustrious career.

His commitment to public health was evident during his tenure at Dora Nginza Hospital in his capacity as Acting CEO and Acting Clinical Governance Manager.

It was this passion and commitment that made him the perfect fit for what Mandela University envisaged as a model for its Health Sciences Faculty and Medical School, which has a focus on primary healthcare, that is preventative rather than curative, working to serve particularly the poor and least served parts of our country.

He has a proven track record as an agent of change wherever he has worked – from his stint as a medical intern in 1999 in the rural Dordrecht hospital right up to his tenure as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, where he showed stellar stewardship.

He was an embodiment of servant leadership.

It is these fine credentials and his unwavering commitment to finding sustainable solutions for the health sector that makes this an immense loss, and his humility and heart for ordinary people that will be sorely missed.

Mandela University extends its deepest condolences to his wife and family, his students and colleagues, and lowers its banner in honour of this trailblazer and leader par excellence.

Professor Sibongile Muthwa
Vice-Chancellor
Nelson Mandela University
7 August 2020

Thank you from the Pepeta Family

Funeral Recording

University Memorial Service