MISTRA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Researcher: Political Economy
Amuzweni Ngoma holds a Honours in Development Studies and an MA in Sociology from the University of Witwatersrand. She is currently completing her PhD in Sociology with Rhodes University and expecting to graduate in April 2020.
With over 15 years of research experience, she has managed and published multiple research and evaluation reports. Her areas of development expertise cover: economic development, entrepreneurship, skills development. She has formulated and implemented development projects and research on topics ranging from HIV/AIDS, race, the economy, politics, class, gender and youth.
She is the author of "Political Identities of South Africa's Professional Black Middle Class. Examining the African middle classes" in The Rise of Africa's Middle Class: Myths, Realities and Critical Engagements Melber, H. (Ed) (Wits Press); "Black professional and the ANC in the 2014 election: Loosening ties?" in Schulz-Herzenberg C and Southall R. (Eds). Election 2014: The campaigns, results & future prospects. Jacana Johannesburg.
She is currently exploring comparative perspectives on how black middle class social mobility is reshaping the identity and politics that are rapidly diversifying. She is interested in understanding the multiple ways in which the new continental middle class structures and approaches state policy, cultural norms and everyday identities.
Job Titles:
- Co - Ordinator of the National Executive Committee
Andries Nel is co-ordinator of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Working Committee (NWC) of the African National Congress (ANC).
He served as a Member of Parliament for the ANC for 25 years, from 27 April 1994 to 7 May 2019, during which he was Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs responsible for Provincial and Local Government; Deputy Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development; House Chairperson of the National Assembly; and Deputy Chief Whip of the ANC.
He participated in the writing of South Africa's Constitution in the Constitutional Assembly on the committee dealing with the judiciary and legal system.
Before 1994 he worked at Lawyers for Human Rights representing prisoners on death row. He was involved in the student and youth movements during the 1980s. He became politically active in high school in São Paulo, Brazil in the early 1980's.
He is a member of the Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA) and has served on the boards of the South African Cities Network, the SA Board for Sheriffs, and the Council of Technikon Northern Gauteng.
He holds a Bachelor of Civil Law from the University of Pretoria.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Researcher: Knowledge Economy and Scientific Advancement
Anelile Gibixego completed a Bachelor of Science in microbiology and cellular biology in 2011 from the University of Kwa Zulu Natal and a Honours degree in environmental science at North West University in 2017. She worked as a Laboratory Assistant, Hygiene Auditor and Environmental Microbiologist in 2012. She then worked as an Environmental Educator and assistant in the Ecological and Restoration department at Wildlands Conservation Trust in 2013. She began her journey as an Aquatic Ecologist at Groundtruth Water ®, Wetlands and Environmental Engineering® where she made great strides in the development of miniSASS and river health. Also managing the database of the Google Earth map based interface miniSASS website, development of citizen science tools for monitoring ecosystem health. She most recently worked at JG AFRIKA (Pty) Ltd, previously trading as Jeffares® and Green (Pty) Ltd as an Aquatic Scientist.
She has been responsible for water resource management related research, river health and forms part of projects within the Water Research Commission. Her strong leadership and communication skills fuel her passion for public speaking and writing and working for the water sector. As a research assistant she has gained experience in scenario planning, facilitation, stakeholder engagements and research. She has been a member of the Young Water Professionals (Water Institute of Southern Africa) since 2014 and hopes to influence other young professionals and students in the renewable energy sector.
Job Titles:
- Formerly Chairman of the Mail & Guardian
Peter is formerly Chairman of the Mail & Guardian, a member of the Unisa Council, director on the boards of Wesbank, Business Against Crime and Special Olympics South Africa.
Peter was a founding member, Managing Director and later Chairman, of South Africa's first Black-owned and managed advertising agency, HerdBuoys Mc-Cann-Erickson.
Job Titles:
- Executive Chairman of Yellowwoods
Dr Adrian Enthoven is Executive Chairman of Yellowwoods, a European based private investment group. He is responsible for the African portfolio of financial services, hospitality and wine investments. He serves on the boards of the Group's South African based businesses, including chairing the Hollard Insurance Group.
He is also involved in various projects and initiatives in youth employment, education, social justice and the arts. He is a board member of Citizens ZA, the African Leadership Initiative (chair) and Business Leadership South Africa, The Youth Employment Services (YES) initiative and a Trustee of Spier Arts Trust and WWF South Africa. He is a member of the advisory boards of MISTRA, CASAC and the CDE, and an ambassador of the Social Justice Initiative.
He was educated at Michaelhouse School and at Oxford University (BA Hons in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, and PhD in Political Science). He is married with four children.
Dr Claudelle von Eck is the former CEO of the Institute of Internal Auditors SA and is founder of Brave Inflexions. Her practice focuses on leadership, governance, change management, ethics, culture and whistleblower support. She's a Strategic Advisor, Executive Coach, Facilitator, Trainer and Keynote Speaker.
She is an experienced executive and non-executive director and has served on numerous international committees and task teams. Her doctoral degree is in leadership with a particular focus on change management. She is a fellow of the Institute of Directors and is a Certified Director. She is also a member of Coaches and Mentors of South Africa (COMENSA).
Dr Trish Hanekom has a Master of Science degree in Financial Economics (2001) and a post-graduate diploma in Economic Principles (1997) from the University of London. She also has a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery degree from the Medical University of South Africa (1993) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Management, Statistics and Computer Science from Unisa (1987).
Trish currently serves in the Ministerial Advisory Task Team for the creation of a National School of Government.
She is a Board Member and Chair of the Audit Committee of the Medical Research Council and of Onderstepoort Biological Products (SOC) Ltd.
She is also a Board Member of Maropeng a'Afrika Leisure (Pty) Ltd, the operator of the official visitor centre of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site Trust.
Job Titles:
- Director Operations
- Head of Strategy and Communications at the Banking Association of South Africa
Dr Yacoob Abba Omar was until December 2020, Head of Strategy and Communications at the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA). Before that he was Director Operations here at MISTRA. He served as South Africa's Ambassador to Oman from 2003 to 2008, United Arab Emirates from 2008 to December 2012, and as Deputy Director-General of GCIS. His first assignment in government was as head of Corporate Affairs at Armscor, in the Ministry of Defence. Before South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994 Abba served in the African National Congress in several capacities.
His PhD was on ‘Sovereignty and National Identity in South Africa' through Wits University. As a BASA executive he served on boards of SADC Banking Association and chaired the board of South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC). He serves, inter alia, on the Steering Committee of the Indlulamithi 2030 Scenarios Project, board of Business Arts South Africa, Advisory Board of Afro Middle East Centre (AMEC) and chairs the board of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC).
Dzunisani Mathonsi holds a Bachelor of Arts in social science from the University Of Limpopo where her majors were Psychology and Criminology and an Honours in Psychology from the University of South Africa.
She has worked herself up MISTRA's ranks as she joined the Institute as an intern and was later promoted to Consultancy Services Officer thereafter was promoted to Project Manager.
She envisions herself as Social Scientist who is very much interested in society's development and growth. She also strives to learn how individuals and groups make decisions and gain insight into their different behaviour patterns.
Dzunisani interests lie in acquiring skills and perspectives to solve complex social problems, to engage in communication and collaboration across the social science discipline, and to utilize a shared infrastructure for social science. During 2013-2014 April Dzunisani participated in volunteer work as a care worker and a team leader at an NGO called future families.
Job Titles:
- Company Secretary
- Public Sector Management Specialist
Gloria Britain is a seasoned Public Sector Management specialist who has worked in the public and private sectors on various transformation and development programmes and projects over several years.
She has held various full time positions as well as set up a consultancy which provided organisational & management development services to diverse non-profit organizations, companies and institutions including Nedbank, South African Broadcasting Corporation, various local government departments, the National Prosecutions Authority, National Departments of Education, Health and Social Development, UNICEF and UNAIDS. Gloria, through her consultancy also provided facilitation services such as strategic planning and training on various non-profit board matters and other areas of organisational development.
Gloria consulted in the donor funding environment, conducting organisational evaluations for local and international funders both nationally and in the Southern African region. She also worked in grant making for civil society organisations. She has worked in resource mobilisation in the areas of: advanced proposal writing, funding raising from High Networth Individuals, conducting funding audits and fund raising planning.
Gloria worked in the Human Capital Development space both in the public and private sectors, with the focus on strategic learning and growth.
Gloria has a BA Social Science Degree from the University of Cape Town, an adult education qualification from the University of British Colombia, a Coaching qualification from Results Systems Coaching in the neuroscience coaching methodology and is a member of the Coaching & Mentoring Association of South Africa, (COMESA).
Jean-Marie was born in Mauritius in a town called Curepipe. After completing his -A levels he left for London where he joined the City of London College and graduated in 1973.
He then did his articles with a firm of chartered accountants: Robson Rhodes Lasser and Dunwoody, based in the City of London.
He moved to South Africa in 1979 as a Director to a Swiss-based firm operating in the metal trade. He married in November 1979 and has one son David who was born in 1980.
In 1986 he started translating the Bible from the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, which remains his passion to this day.
Between 1979 and 2009, he was involved with several companies. He was joint-CEO of Environmental Resources, a company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
He started several organizations including the Association of Pension Contributors and Pensioners as well as the Bee Foundation and the Veterans Foundation Groups of Companies.
During that period, he was also a patron of the arts and helped a number of artists gain world recognition. He is an art lover and has an extensive African Art collection and published an African art book called "OJU ONA", with his son David.
In 2005 he graduated from Newport University USA with an MBA and in 2011 completed his PhD in Management of Technology and Innovation with the Da Vinci Institute for Technology Management.
In 2007 he was appointed Honorary Colonel of Regiment President Kruger in Randfontein. He was Deputy Chairperson for the ANC in the John Nkadimeng Branch in Johannesburg.
He is an author of a book called "The Logic of God" and "The cloud has moved". He is the President adviser to ENDEL a division of ENGIE, a French company in the Energy field.
He is the Chairperson of ART (Arican Remediation Technology (Pty) Ltd), a company in the water optimization and conservation.
He is also the President for Africa of Malta Lease Company which is a finance company operating with Airbus and the UN to supply helicopters for humanitarian missions in the Arena of the African Continent.
He is also the Chairman of Biodegradable Bags South Africa (Pty) Ltd which manufactures and distributes biodegradable and compositable bags in South African and Africa.
Jenny Cargill is an author, a protagonist in an award-winning film on the struggle against apartheid, founder of a think tank and currently, a specialist in strategy execution to achieve high impact results in the public sector and public interest programmes.
Jenny is the author of Trick or Treat: Rethinking black economic empowerment which was published in 2010. She offers a unique experiential and analytical journey into the controversial policy to promote black corporate ownership and the mega deals that have characterized South Africa's efforts to reverse the legacy of apartheid.
Her book is underpinned by the same principle that motivated her to join the African National Congress in the early Eighties - notably that all South Africans should have the opportunity to participate equitably in their society and economy. Her experiences as an underground operative, first inside South Africa and them from exile in Zimbabwe are captured in the film, Memories of Rain released on the 10th anniversary of democracy at the Berlin Film Festival.
On returning to South Africa, Jenny went back to financial journalism and then founded BusinessMap SA in 1994, which monitored the economic transition as the country sought to integrate into the global economy and include black South Africans in the mainstream South African economy. From there, she became a BEE transactional advisor for South African and multinational corporations.
Following the publication of her book, she relocated to Cape Town and was appointed as the Premier's adviser to develop and implement a green economic strategy for the Western Cape. Following that she established a delivery unit within the provincial government that focused on achieving ambitious results for key priorities. In 2019, she established Strategy Execution Advisers, principally focused on improving the impact of public sector activities for citizens through effective delivery.
Jenny was born and educated in Natal. She was the head girl of her senior school. She is a mother to one son, Marc, an avid gardener who is passionate about environmental sustainability and has two dogs, who are her constant walking companions.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Vice Chairperson
Joel Netshitenzhe has a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Financial Economics and a post-graduate diploma in Economic Principles from the University of London, and a diploma in Political Science from the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow. He is a Visiting Professor at the Wits School of Governance.
He is a Member of the Board of Life Healthcare Group. He served as a member of the ANC National Executive Committee (1991 - 2022), and also as a member of the National Planning Commission (2010 - 2015).
Before joining the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) as CEO in 1998, Mr Netshitenzhe was Head of Communication in President Nelson Mandela's office. In addition to being GCIS CEO, he was appointed Head of the Policy Co-ordination and Advisory Services (PCAS) in The Presidency, in 2001. He headed the PCAS on a full-time basis from 2006 until his retirement in 2009.
Before 1994, he served in various capacities within the ANC: Radio Freedom, Mayibuye editor, member of the ANC Politico-Military Council and Deputy Head of the Department of Information and Publicity, and as part of the ANC negotiating team.
Solly Mapaila was born on the 19 th June 1969 in Thokoza township, an African suburban confluence 25 kilo meters South East of Johannesburg. He is born of a Christian working class family that worked in the sprawling industrial area of Eastern Johannesburg. His father was a factory workers and his mother worked in the catering industry. They are both deceased.
After matriculating he skipped (left into exile) the country to join the then underground liberation movement the ANC where he was enlisted in its military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe - MK (the spear of the nation). After completing his basic guerilla warfare, he studied military science at the Dr. Hugo Nkabinde Military Training College in Uganda. He also became a military instructor and rose in the ranks of the army and became a commissar. He came back to South Africa in September 1994 for integration programme of all armed forces into the newly established single South African National Defence Force.
He did political science and taught Marxist political classes to the camp and the new recruits in the army and was made in charge of the Education Centre of the camp which was responsible for teaching and upgrading the levels of education in the camp. He also holds a Diploma in Banking and when he left the army after a democratic elections were held and ushered in a democratic dispensation in South Africa he worked for the Volkskas Bank now ABSA bank in South Africa.
Not contend or impressed with the conservatism of the banking sector he left to establish the Swaziland Solidarity Network to promote and advance the struggle for democracy in Swaziland since 1996. He is the chairperson of the Swaziland Solidarity Network - South Africa chapter.
Laurence Caromba holds a Master's degree in Political Science from the University of Pretoria, with a focus on political theory. He is currently a PhD candidate in International Relations at the University of the Free State, where he is carrying out research on the use of cyber operations and online propaganda as tools of foreign policy by states. He has published scholarly articles on African politics and security.
Before working at MISTRA, he lectured at the University of Johannesburg and at Monash South Africa, where he developed new academic modules on civil-military relations, international migration, political ideologies, political economy, and other topics. He has worked as an analyst at an embassy, a researcher at the University of Pretoria's Centre for International Political Studies, and a writer for the Mail & Guardian newspaper. He is especially interested in the intersection between technology, geopolitics, and epistemic trust in international affairs.
Job Titles:
- Finance Manager
- Mapungubwe Institute As a Financial Manager
Lorraine Pillay joined the Mapungubwe Institute as a Financial Manager in February 2014. Prior to joining MISTRA, she worked at MOSCON OPTICS (PTY) Ltd where she started as Junior Credit Control in 1992 and progressed to be a Financial Manager. In this role, she also drove the financial functions for other companies within the MOSCON group such as Moscon Medical and Moscon Properties.
After completing her Bcom in Accounting at the University of South Africa, Lorraine continued to further her studies at the Chartered Institute of Management Accounts where she completed her T4 - Part B. CIMA is recognized as the world's largest body of management accountants.
Lorraine's interest is in art and reading and travelling.
Luli Callinicos is an historian and heritage consultant. She is the author of The World that made Mandela (STE 2000) and Oliver Tambo: Beyond the Engeli Mountains (David Philip 2004).
In 1988 she received the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa for Working Life: Factories, Townships and Popular Culture (Ravan 1987), her second book in the labour and social history trilogy, A People's History of South Africa - Gold and Workers (1981), Working Life (1987) and A Place in the City (1993). .
Under the Mandela government she was appointed to the policy-making Arts, Culture Task Group from 1994-6; she also served as advisor to the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology on Legacy Projects.
She sat on the National Monuments Council from 1996-2000 and helped to transform it to the South African Heritage Resources Agency, contributing to the Heritage Resources Act of 2000. She was the first chairperson of the National Heritage Council, a founder member of the Workers' Library and Museum and a Trustee of Freedom Park for nine years.
Callinicos continues to serve on a number of other heritage and research boards, including Robben Island Museum and the South African History Archives.
In addition to numerous articles and chapters in books, Luli Callinicos has been a scriptwriter and historical advisor for museum exhibitions, including on Nelson Mandela on his 90th birthday (Apartheid Museum. Nelson Mandela Museum and Stockholm) and -Albert Luthuli and Nelson Mandela: In Conversation' (Albert Luthuli Museum. Nelson Mandela Museum). Most recently, her book Who Built Jozi? Discovering Memory at Wits Junction (WUP), was published in 2012.
Lull Callinicos also has extensive experience teaching school and university students, workers in the labour movement as well as a political and curriculum educator in history. Of Hellenic descent, Callinicos was awarded The Order of the Phoenix by the Democracy of Greece in 1997.
Job Titles:
- Senior Researcher: Political Economy
Machete (Eddie) Rakabe holds a master's degree in economic development from the University of Johannesburg. Prior to joining MISTRA Eddie worked for the Financial and Fiscal Commission heading the fiscal policy division. He also worked as lead economist for South African SKA bid at the National Research Foundation and senior economist in the local and provincial finance policy units of the National Treasury. His research interests are around public finance, informal & rural economies, market concentration and making markets work for the poor.
Job Titles:
- Resource Mobilisation Officer
Magati Nindiwas born in Dar -es -Salaam, Tanzania. She holds a Master's degree in International Relations majoring in peace studies and conflict resolution from the University of the North West. Her interest lies in Africa's foreign direct investment post-independence and fundraising Before being appointed as a Resource Mobilisation Officer at MISTRA, Magati worked as a Fund Developer at Jo'burg Child Welfare and the Legal Resources Centre. She also worked at the University of the North West Politics Department.
Mathatha Tsedu is a farmer and Adjunct Professor Emeritus of the University of Witwatersrand's Journalism Department. Prior to that Mathatha was General Manager for Strategic Development and Projects at Media24 News and Executive Director of the SA National Editors Forum (Sanef).
After serving as Editor of City Press, he was head of the Media24 Journalism Academy, responsible for training working and learner journalists. He is a seasoned media trainer.
He was, until September 2013 Project Director of the Print and Digital Media Transformation Task Team (PDMTTT) and before that he was Project Director of the Press Freedom Commission of SA, which was established in 2011 to look at the regulatory framework of print media in SA. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Unisa School of Governance.
He has served as Editor at several SA newspapers, namely Sunday Times and City Press and as Deputy Head of News at SABC. He was the founding Chairperson of The African Editors Forum (TAEF), and of SANEF. He is also a member of Council of the Council for the advancement of the SA Constitution (Casac).
Mosibudi Mangena was born in 1947 in Tzaneen, in the now Limpopo Province. He is married to Thabile and they have two children.
He matriculated at Hebron Training Institute in 1969. In 1970, he enrolled at the University of Zululand (Ngoye) for a BSc degree where he was elected to the SRC and became active in the South African Students Organisation (SASO).
He discontinued his studies and moved back to Pretoria where he became active in the local branch of SASO and PRESO,
In 1972, he was elected the first National Organiser of the Black People's Convention at its inaugural Congress.
Job Titles:
- Junior Researcher
- Junior Researcher in the Humanity Faculty
Njabulo Zwane is a Junior Researcher in the Humanity Faculty at MISTRA. He recently graduated with his honours degree in the Wits History Department. He writes about the arts and culture with the aim of teasing out the socio-political aspects of literature, visual art and musical performance. He is also interested in South African economic historiography.
Job Titles:
- Information Technology Manager
- Information and Communication Technology Manager
Noma Moyo joined MISTRA as the Information Technology manager in July 2017. Noma's goals for MISTRA are to contribute to the advancement of research through knowledge transfer and creating an understanding of Information Technology Services Management (ITSM) thereby adding value to the Institute. "As an Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) expert, I believe ITSM gives organisations a strong advantage in harnessing technologies," says Noma.
Noma graduated in 2015 with a Master of Philosophy degree in Information and Knowledge Systems from Stellenbosch University She is also an experienced information scientist with an MSC and a BSC honours in Library and Information Science from the National University of Science and Technology (Zimbabwe), She is an ITIL Expert certified by AXELOS.
Her experience includes working as a Records and information Officer at Johannesburg Housing Company, where she was also responsible for the company's ICT environment. She worked at Khulisa Management Services as a Knowledge Management Junior Researcher.
Job Titles:
- Researcher: Knowledge Economy and Scientific Advancement
Nqobile Xaba holds a BSc degree in pure and applied chemistry (cum laude) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), and BSc honours degree in chemistry, an MSc degree in chemical engineering science from the University of North West (NWU), and a PhD in chemistry from the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She obtained her PhD qualification while working at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CISR) on a joint research collaboration between UWC and the CSIR. She further worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the CSIR and Tshwane University of technology (TUT). She has gained experience working in the renewable energy, and energy storage and conversion technology fields. Her research work was focused on finding cost effective catalysts for applications in rechargeable batteries, fuel cells and carbon dioxide reduction. She has further worked as a part time lecturer at TUT teaching general and analytical chemistry.
She has presented her work at various conferences including the 3 rd BRICS young scientist forum, Africa Energy Materials Conference, 5th CSIR Conference Emerging Researcher's Symposium and the South African Chemical Institute north young chemist symposium. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Her profile was recently featured on the Women in Science Africa online magazine amongst other prominent scientists in Africa. She was also nominated by the Academy of Science to attend the 70 th Lindau Nobel Laureates meeting. She is passionate about community service through education and has worked with numerous organisations focusing on STEM career awareness and motivation. She is an aspiring long-distance runner and has participated in various ultra-marathons including two oceans marathon and comrade's marathon.
Oyama Mabandla holds BA in Political Science from University of California and Juris Doctor from Columbia University.
He has served as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of South African Airways (Pty) Ltd.; as General Counsel for South African Airways (Pty) Ltd. (SAA) and as the Chairman of Vodacom. He has also served as an advocate at the South African Bar and is an Executive Chairman of Langa Group, as well as former Member of the advisory board of JP Morgan.
He held several Directorships, including at Mvelaserve Ltd (November 2010 to November 2012), at Group Five Ltd (August 2011 to May 2013), as Independent Non-executive Director of Mvelaphanda Group Ltd. (2004 to 2012), at South African Airways (Pty) Ltd, as well as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Mvelaphanda Resources Ltd. (March 2004 to April 2007.)
He was appointed to the board of African Phoenix, a JSE listed investment company as director, and chairman of its investment committee and is now its executive chairman. He was appointed to the board of Supergroup, a JSE listed transport and logistics company in 2018. He is a member of its Deal Committee and chair its Social Ethics Committee. He served as the executive chairman of the Langa Group
Patricia [Trish] Hanekom was born in Zimbabwe and completed her schooling there. She enrolled for a BSc degree at UCT in 1976. As a student activist, she was arrested for the first time for her involvement in opposing forced removals and ultimately, suspended her studies at UCT in 1978.
She moved to Magaliesburg where she and her husband farmed. They were involved in underground structures of the ANC and were arrested in 1983 for providing information on the destabilisation of neighbouring countries by the then SADF.
After an in camera trial and a prison sentence of just over three years, Trish was deported to Zimbabwe in 1987. In Zimbabwe she served in ANC structures until returning to South Africa in 1991 after receiving amnesty.
Prof Derrick Swartz served as the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University from 2008 to 2017. Previously, he served as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of Fort Hare from 1999 to 2007.
Prof Swartz has a BA degree from the University of the Western Cape, MA and DPhil degrees in the sociology of development and industrialisation from Essex University, and an a Honorary Doctorate in Human Rights Law from Essex University, which was conferred in 2008.
In the years leading up to democracy in South Africa in the early 1990s he played a key role in conceptualising and planning a post-apartheid public sector in the country. He founded the Institute of Government in 1995. Since 1999, his interests have focused on policy making in higher education, institutional development and social transformation in universities. He is particularly interested in models for linking universities in developing countries into their local, regional and global habitats to support sustainable development. His scholarly interests include the role of universities in the economy, the philosophy of science, and the developmental role of higher education. Prof Swartz serves on the board of Higher Education South Africa, policy task teams and public trusts. He formerly served as a board member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
Distinguished thought leader, Businessman, President of the Institute of Directors in South Africa, Africanist, Public Speaker and Changed Agent at the forefront of transformation in the South African Political Economy, Dr Reuel Khoza has been hailed as a role model in the duties and responsibilities that a citizen can and should take on in the public and national interest.
Reuel Khoza is currently Chairman of Aka Capital and the Nedbank Group Limited and a director of several companies including Old Mutual PLC, Nampak, Sasol Oil and the Protea Hospitality Group.
He has chaired the Boards of such corporations as Eskom Holdings, GlaxoSmithKlein South Africa and served as a director of the JSE Limited, IBM South Africa, the Standard Bank Group and Liberty Group. He has been involved in the formulation of the King Codes on Corporate Governance in both King II and King III.
Reuel Khoza's qualifications include BA Hons in Psychology, MA in Marketing, an Engineering Doctorate in Business Leadership, and LLD (honoris causa).
He is Emeritus Professor Extraordinaire of the University of Stellenbosch Business School, Visiting Professor at Rhodes Business School and the University of the Free State and Chancellor of the University of Limpopo.
He is an accomplished author in Leadership and Management and his books include Let Africa Lead, Attuned Leadership, The African In My Dreams and the Power of Governance (with Mohamed Adam).
Rose Maleke Ngwato was born in Glen Cowie, Limpopo. She completed her primary schooling at the Sebajaneng Primary and went on to study at Matshumane Secondary.
In 1997 she moved to Johannesburg where she found employment at Cyber Cleaning and Security Services and thereafter joined MISTRA in 2010 as an Office Assistant.
Rose is an avid church lover and a devoted mother of three boys. She strongly believes that Ubuntu should be the principle that guides people into living harmoniously with each other.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Director of the Education Policy Unit at the University
Professor Shireen Motala has been awarded the SARChI Chair: Teaching and Learning (the national research chair is funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and coordinated by the National Research Foundation, South Africa in July 2020 at a Tier 1 level.
She was the Head: Postgraduate School (PGS), University of Johannesburg (UJ) until October 2020, and is professor in the Faculty of Education (FoE), UJ. The SARChI: T&L is located within the FoE.
Prior to joining UJ in 2010, Professor Shireen Motala, was the Director of the Education Policy Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her academic qualifications include: a BA (University of Durban-Westville), a B Social Science Honours (University of Cape Town), an MA (University of Warwick), a PGCE (University of London) and a PhD (University of the Witwatersrand). In March 2010, she was appointed as the Director of the newly established Postgraduate Centre: Research and Innovation at the University of Johannesburg. In May 2016, she was appointed as the Senior Director of the Postgraduate School. She is currently UJ's representative on the international body, the Council Graduate Schools and participates in the Universitas 21 activities.
She has held numerous leadership roles related to Higher Education including: Chairperson of the Education Policy Consortium (2006-2010), Chairperson of the UNESCO South African Commission (2001-2006), and first inaugural president of the South African Research Association (SAERA) (2013-2014). She was appointed by the Minster of Higher Education and Training to serve on the Council of Higher Education (CHE) for two terms from 2010-2010. In 2013, she served on the Ministerial Committee to review the national Senior Certificate examination. She is currently a trustee at the South African Institute for Distance Education. She is on the Assessment and Accreditation committee of UMALUSI.
Research Interests
An NRF rated researcher, she has initiated collaborations between universities across Africa and with Asia and Europe, and this has led to the formation of long-term regional and international partnerships. Playing a leadership role in research, she was the principal investigator or the international Consortium for Research on Equity, Access and Transitions in Education (CREATE). Her research record is substantial and includes publications in journals and books and editorship of local and international journals. Her research interests and expertise have been in the areas of education financing and school reform, access and equity, and education quality. Her doctoral research examined how financial redistributive strategies can provide equitable access and reduce inequalities in the South African public schooling system. Spanning a long career in research in all its aspects, she led strategies for: research capacity development, knowledge management, research income generation, and stakeholder relationship management. Promoting scholarship and a sound intellectual culture and developing the next generation of scholars in order to contribute to societal transformation, have been in the forefront of her activities, and will continue to be during tenure as Chair. Prof Motala has recently co-edited the book: "From Ivory Towers to Ebony Towers: Transforming Humanities Curricula in South Africa, Africa, and African-American Studies" (published by Jacana, Mar. 2020).
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Associate Senior Research Professor at the Center
Professor Vil-Nkomo is Chairperson of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Deputy Chairperson of the Water Research Commission (WRC), and Board Member of Subtropico Pty, Ltd, and Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA).
Prof Vil-Nkomo is Associate Senior Research Professor at the Center for the Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria. From 2011-2012 he was a J William Fulbright Research Scholar in the Department of Economics at Fordham University as well as a Fellow of the Fordham School of Business Consortium in New York City. He is a former member of the Executive of the University of Pretoria and Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Prof Vil-Nkomo contributed significantly to the development of the Enterprises at the University of Pretoria and served on the boards of these entities. He was Public Service Commissioner under President Nelson Mandela. He is a member of the Academy of Science in South Africa and the South African Association of Public Management and Administration which has established the Annual Prof Sibusiso Vil-Nkomo Lecture.
Prof Vil-Nkomo's research interests are in urban economics, public sector economics and policy, human capital investment and the political economy of development. His knowledge extends to agriculture and natural resources development. He is also well vested in matters pertaining to corporate governance. Has conducted in-depth institutional reviews and has served on strategic review panels.
Prof Vil-Nkomo serves on the Board of Advisors of the Joseph R Biden, Jr School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware in the United States of America. He has been bestowed awards nationally and internationally.
Job Titles:
- Finance Officer
- HR Administrator
- Professional Accountant
Sindiswa Gasela is qualified Professional Accountant who completed her SAIPA (South African Institute of Professional Accountants) articles in June 2016.
She wrote and passed the SAIPA Professional Evaluation exam in May 2017 and holds a Btech degree in Cost Management Accounting from the Tshwane University of Technology.
Prior joining MISTRA, she worked as an Accounting Officer at VESCO a contractor to ArcelorMittal. In this role she was responsible for managing financial records to ensure efficient and effective functioning of the organization.
She also worked for several accounting firms as an Accountant where she was responsible for preparation of financial statements and worked on different inhouse accounting packages.
Job Titles:
- Analyst
- Director Research
- Visiting Professor at the Wits School of Governance in University
Professor Susan Booysen is a Visiting Professor at the Wits School of Governance in University of the Witwatersrand.
Booysen is the author of research-intensive books on the African National Congress of South Africa and editor of several other books on South and Southern African politics. Her two major books on the ANC, to date, are The African National Congress and the Regeneration of Political Power (2011) and Dominance and Decline: The ANC in the Time of Zuma (2015), both published by Wits University Press. Her 2012 e-book, The ANC's Battle of Mangaung, focused on a particular turning point in the ANC trajectory. Her two main edited books are FeesMustFall: Student Revolt, Decolonisation and Governance in South Africa (2016) and Local Elections in South Africa: People, Parties, Politics (2012). She also co-edited Democracy and Elections in Southern Africa (2009) with Denis Kadima.
Booysen is a political analyst and media commentator, both in the print and electronic media. She currently contributes regular columns to Daily Maverick.
She holds a D.Litt. et Phil. from the University of Johannesburg (1988). Her areas of specialisation are South African and Southern African politics, policy, governance, elections, comparative politics of Southern Africa, political sociology and research methodology. Her research fellowships include a post-doctoral fellowship at the Southern African Research Program (SARP) at Yale University, USA. She is past president of the South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS) and is on the editorial board of the South African Journal of Political Studies, Politikon.
She has published around 40 refereed academic articles (both in national and international journals), 25 chapters in books, and multiple monographs. She has concluded close to 50 full-scale consultancy and academic research projects, and presents her findings regularly at national and international conferences in African Studies, Political Studies, Policy Studies, as well as to other specialised audiences.
Booysen's academic career has included full professorships at Nelson Mandela University (1998-2005) and Wits University (2005-2018). Wits University has also awarded her the title of Professor Emeritus.
Originally, from Cape Town, Tanya has a BSc in Biology from the University of Zambia: a MSc and DIP in Applied Entomology and Insect Ecology from Imperial College University of London and a PhD from the University of Westminster, and was involved in many policy and decision making processes that contributed to the success of the transition in South Africa before 1994- including land reform, rural development, economic scenario planning as well as worked for the ANC and for rural NGOs in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
In 1994 she was appointed Chief Director in President Mandela's Office: Facilitation and Management of the Reconstruction & Development Programme (RDP) Fund, and later appointed Deputy Director General in the Environment & Tourism Department, where she headed the Resource Use branch (which included Marine and Coastal Management Biodiversity and Heritage Management and Tourism).
She joined the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) in 2000 as its Executive Director and sat on a number of key tourism bodies, played a leading role in the Tourism Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Charter process and advised on the public/private partnership policy development for nature-based tourism state assets.
She received the African Tourism Achiever Award 2005 and was nominated as a candidate for Secretary General of the World Tourism Organisation.
She was appointed in 2007 as the first CEO of the South African National Biodiversity Institute. SANBI is a public entity responsible for Biodiversity Research, Policy Support, Knowledge & Information Management; best practice management models as well as running the nine (9) National Botanical Gardens, mandated by the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) of 2004.
She sits on the global committee monitoring the state of biodiversity for the Convention on Biological Diversity, was a member of the Task Team for Future Earth (the restructuring of global earth science research), is a founder member of The Global Science Collection Group and was second vice chair of the Science Committee of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). She is on the Board of Trustees of WWF-SA and an executive committee member of COHORT (the committe of science institution heads).
Terry Shakinovsky has an Honours Degree in English and Oral History from the University of Witwatersrand and is an experienced writer and editor; creative content strategist; project and production manager, publishing and a journalist.
Terry's honours thesis is on Sharpeville township. She has had extensive involvement in anti-apartheid organisations such as CRIC where her work entailed building relationships with students, women's and community organisations across South Africa. She has also worked in similar roles in the Soul City Institute. She has extensive experience in electronic media as a producer and media consultant and has worked in broadcasting environments. Terry has edited various books, reports as well as radio programmes.
Thabang Moerane was born in Johannesburg and grew up in the North West Province. She matriculated at Pres Mangope Technical High School.
She has a Secretarial and Advanced Secretarial Diploma. She is presently studying with UNISA for a Bcom in Business Management. She previously worked on a contract basis before joining the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) in 1999 as a secretary. She was later promoted to the post of Personal Assistant. In 2006 she was seconded to the presidency as Personal Assistant to the Head of Policy Co-ordination and Advisory Services (PCAS).
Thabang joined Mapungubwe Institute as an Administrator in July 2010.
Towela Ng'ambi is currently completing a Masters in Development Studies at the University of Johannesburg. She has Honours degrees in Psychology and Development Studies, and a BA in Arts.
Towela has been in the role of student assistant at the University of Western Cape. She has also worked at the Olive Leaf Foundation and UNICEF, in administration, project management, stakeholder engagements, data capturing and management of data bases and public relations respectively.
Tshilidzi Ratshitanga is a Mitchell Fellow and Ph.D. graduate of the School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware, USA. He holds an MPhil and Bachelor's degrees from the University of Port Elizabeth (now Nelson Mandela University) and RAU (now University of Johannesburg) respectively. Dr Ratshitanga is also Chairman and Founder of the New Cities, New Economies Institute, the Global Consortium for Africa's Economic Development and the Global Black People's Convention (GBPC).
Job Titles:
- Junior Researcher
- Junior Researcher: Political Economy
Wandile Ngcaweni is a Junior Researcher in the Faculty of Political Economy. He holds an honours degree in Development Studies from the University of South Africa (UNISA). He is a co-editor of the book, We are No Longer at Ease: The Struggle for #FeesMustFall (Jacana, 2018).
Job Titles:
- Editor of a
- Senior Researcher in the Knowledge Economy and Scientific Advancement Faculty
- Senior Researcher: Knowledge Economy and Scientific Advancement
Zamanzima Mazibuko is the Senior Researcher in the Knowledge Economy and Scientific Advancement Faculty at MISTRA. She is a Wits university alumnus and holds a BSc degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and a BSc honours in Pharmacology. She obtained her MSc (Med) in Pharmaceutics cum laude; has published on nano-enabled drug delivery technologies in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; and has a pending patent filed with Wits Enterprise for a nano-enabled drug delivery.
Zamanzima is the editor of a MISTRA book titled Beyond Imagination: The Ethics and Applications of Nanotechnology and Bio-Economics in South Africa and contributed a chapter in the same publication.
She is currently pursuing a second masters degree in Management in the field of Innovation Studies at the Wits Business School. Zamanzima's other research interests are on the low-carbon economy; beneficiation of strategic minerals in South Africa, particularly platinum group metals; nanomedicine; and the implications of a fourth industrial revolution in Africa.