Liberation from human suffering is an honourable achievement, but without release from the constraints of impoverishment, sovereignty is partial. The South African Constitution envisions such a socially just environment based on democracy, equity and respect. Local public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) therefore have a social contract to align themselves with these principles. This is a daunting responsibility, especially in a time when these institutions have become subjected to the demands of a globalised market-driven mentality that requires of them to function in a financially competitive style, often at the expense of their social responsibility.