Abstract

The research was motivated by the call for sound leadership in FET colleges that are grappling with the challenges of merging. A literature study showed that the study of leadership is interdisciplinary covering a vast terrain, which encompasses the political, corporate, educational and human service domains. In 1994 the South African government inherited a fragmented, segregated and bureaucratic education system providing poor quality education. The necessary reform of the FET sector has placed enormous pressure on FET college leadership. A qualitative approach was used for this study in order to provide explanations for a need for effective leadership for FET colleges. A case study of a newly merged college was chosen by purposeful sampling and data collected by means of document analysis, individual interviews and observation. The research concludes with recommendations and a proposed leadership model for effective management of FET colleges.