Biographies of Members of The National Planning Commission

 

                                                STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA ON THE APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS TO THE NATIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

PRESIDENTIAL GUEST HOUSE, PRETORIA

 

30 APRIL 2010

 

 

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe

Minister Trevor Manuel,

Ladies and Gentlemen of the media,         

 

Last year we announced that the new administration would do things differently and would work consistently to change the way government works, in order to improve service delivery.

 

A key aspect of this exercise was to introduce effective planning as well as monitoring and evaluation capacity in the Presidency, to guide these functions in government.

 

Today we are pleased to announce the names of the members of the National Planning Commission, who are tasked with producing a national development plan and development vision statement for the country.

 

The Commission, assisted by a full-time secretariat will develop well-researched, evidence-based proposals, cutting across the three spheres of government and across ministries and departments.

 

They will  produce reports on a range of issues that impact on our long term development, such as water security, climate change, food security, energy security, infrastructure planning, human resource development, defence and security matters, the structure of the economy, spatial planning, demographic trends and so forth.

 

While each of these areas of work relate to an aspect of government’s work, the Commission is asked to take an independent, cross-cutting, critical and long term view of these issues.

 

This exercise will enable us to make government’s policies and plans are more coherent and focused on achieving the type of society that we all envisage.

 

The revised green paper on the National Planning Commission sets out the roles and responsibilities of this Commission.

 

Members of the commission represent various areas of expertise and reflect a diversity of experiences and perspectives.

 

The Commissioners are appointed in their personal capacities and do not represent any organisation or stakeholder.

MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION

 

Minister Trevor Manuel will chair the Commission and feed its work into Cabinet and government in general.

 

The Deputy Chairperson will be Cyril Ramaphosa.

 

The other members of the Commission are as follows:

Bobby Godsell

Elias Masilela

Jerry Vilakazi

Noluthando Gosa

Jennifer Molwantwa

Mike Muller

Mariam Altman

Chris Malikane

Vivienne Taylor

Marcus Balintulo

Vuyokazi Mahlati

Malekgapuru Makgoba

Joel Netshitenzhe

Anton Eberhard

Bridgette Gasa

Thandabantu Goba

Phillip Harrison

Ihron Rensburg

Jerry Coovadia

Karl von Holdt

Mohammed Karaan

Tasneem Essop

Pascal Moloi

Vincent Maphai

 

These individuals bring a broad range of expertise to the work of the Commission.

This includes expertise on finance, industry, telecommunications, biotechnology, water engineering, rural development, governance, energy, education, health, food security, and climate change, among others.

The work of the Commission will commence immediately.

 

The first meeting is tentatively scheduled for 10 and 11 May 2010 and will report on an ongoing basis to Cabinet.

 

We congratulate these men and women and wish them all the best in their work as they guide the country towards sustainable development and prosperity.

 

They are assured of our full support as government.

 

We urge all key sectors in the country to support their work as well as to ensure an improvement in the quality of life, especially of the poor and marginalised.

 

We also wish to thank those members of the public who made nominations and to those who volunteered their services to the country.

 

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

 

Our monitoring and evaluation function in the Presidency is also functional.

 

Central to this is the conclusion of performance agreements with Ministers.

 

The Deputy President and I spent yesterday meeting with Ministers individually to discuss and sign their performance agreements.

 

We will continue the exercise today until we conclude the process with all 34 Ministers.

 

The Ministers will cascade these agreements to their Deputies and Directors-General to ensure the entire government reads from one script with regards to what is expected during this term.

 

We are convinced that our vision of changing the way government works will truly yield results.

 

I thank you.

 

BIOGRAPHIES OF MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

 

1.         Mr CM Ramaphosa (Deputy Chairperson of the Commission)

 

Cyril Ramaphosa holds a law degree and is the founder and executive chairman of Shanduka Group, an investment holdings company with investments in resources, financial services, property, energy and beverages.  He is joint non-executive chairman of Mondi Group and non-executive chairman of MTN Group Limited and Bidvest Group Limited.  His directorships include SABMiller plc, Macsteel Global b.v. and Standard Bank Group.  He was an active labour activist and held leadership positions in Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA), National Union of Mineworkers and the African National Congress.  He became head of the negotiation team of the ANC in negotiating with the former South African regime.  He thereafter became a Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly, which drafted South Africa's democratic constitution.  He resigned from these positions in 1997 to move into the private sector and remains a National Executive Member of the ANC.

Ramaphosa serves on The Coca Cola Company’s International Public Policy Advisory Board (IPPAB) and is a member of the United Nations Global Leadership Group which advises the Secretary General’s Special Representative on Business and Human Rights.  He also serves on the board of the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC).

He received the Olof Palme prize in 1987 in Stockholm and was awarded the National Order of the Baobab in Silver in 2009 in South Africa. 

 

2.         Mr RM Godsell

Robert (Bobby) Michael Godsell obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Philosophy from the University of Natal and a Master of Arts in Liberal Ethics from the University of Cape Town.  He also spent a year pursuing postgraduate studies in Sociology and Philosophy at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

He is currently Chairperson of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), CEO organisation representing the 70 largest South African public and private companies and Co-Chairperson of the Millennium Labour Council (MLC), a body that provides for social dialogue between South African business and labour leaders. He also is the Chairman, Freeworld Coatings, the JSE listed coatings company recently demerged from BarlowWorld.

He previously held the positions of Chairperson of Eskom Holdings from July 2008 to November 2009 and CEO of AngloGold Ashanti Limited from July 1995 to September 2007. He is the former President of the SA Chamber of Mines and  Chairperson of the World Gold Council.

He continues to actively serve the mining and energy sectors and has co-authored and edited a number of books on South Africa and its  future..

 

3.         Mr EK Masilela

Elias Masilela holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences (Economics and Statistics) from the University of Swaziland,  an MSc in Economic Policy and Analysis with a specialisation in Money, Banking and International Economics from the Addis Ababa University. He also studied Macroeconomic Policy and Management as well as Global Financial System: Structure, Crisis and Reform at Harvard University.

His book “Number 43 Trelawney Park; kwaMagogo” was nominated for the much coveted Alan Paton Award for 2007.

Elias Masilela is currently the Head of Policy Analysis at Sanlam, a role that involves advising the Group, on matters of policy, legislation, sectoral developments and compliance. He joined Sanlam in July of 2005, as its Stakeholder Strategy Head, following his role in the National Treasury as the leader of the social security and retirement reform programme.  He went on to set up a new unit in Sanlam, as Head of Sustainability Management. 

He continues to play an instrumental role in advising and crafting the role and participation of the private sector in the envisaged new dispensation. He is the lead negotiator on behalf of BUSA at NEDLAC with regard to matters relating to social security and retirement reform, in particular, and financial sector developments in general. He is also BUSA’s representative to NEDLAC’s Public Finance Chamber as well as its Manco.

In 2008, he was appointed to the Board of the South African Reserve Bank  and to the Board of the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF), the largest pension fund on the continent and the sixth largest in the world.

Before joining Sanlam, Elias was the Acting Deputy Director General responsible of Economic Policy, which covered areas of Macroeconomic modelling, forecasting and analysis, Microeconomic analysis and policy, Tax policy, Trade policy, Financial Sector regulation and monitoring as well as International Relations with multilateral bodies, such as the World Bank, IMF, OECD, SADC and the CMA.

 

4.         Ms NP Gosa

Noluthando Gosa is the Chief Executive Officer of Akhona Properties.  She also holds various non-executive director positions in leading companies in the property industry (Broll Property Group, Investec Asset Management).  She holds an MBA obtained at the University of Brunswick, Canada.

She is currently pursuing an MPhil degree in Economic Policy through the University of Stellenbosch.

 

5.         Dr JB Molwantwa

 

Jennifer Molwantwa holds a PhD in Biotechnology from Rhodes University specializing in water treatment (particularly mine water). She has been an active member of the Water Institute of Southern Africa since 2006.

She is currently Unit Manager: Hydrology and Water Scientist at Digby Wells and Associates where she provides surface water quality input to EIA/EMP on mining related impact prediction, assessment, mitigation, management and development of monitoring programmes. Other responsibilities include the development of storm water management plans, Water Management Legal Compliance Audits and compilation of IWWMP in support of integrated water use license applications (IWULA) her experience includes two passive treatment research projects at Golder Associates and Zitholele Consulting as well as a wide range of ongoing private sector and government water management and treatment projects. 

 

6.         Mr MA Muller

 

Mike Muller holds an MSc from the University of Witwatersrand and is a civil engineer by training with extensive strategic public management experience. He was Director-General of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (1997-2005) where he led the development and implementation of legislation, policies and strategies in water resources and water services as well as Government’s water supply and sanitation (WS&S) programme.

Since 2006, he has been a visiting Adjunct Professor at the Wits University Graduate School of Public and Development Management teaching planning and development as well as operational management and supervising post-graduate research. He continues to work at municipal, national, regional and international level to improve understanding of the linkages between water and development and to promote better water resource management.

He is co-chair of the UN Water World Water Assessment Programme’s Expert Group on Indicators, Monitoring and Databases, member of the Global Water Partnership’s Technical Advisory Committee and leader of the GWP Reference Group which has supported the completion of National IWRM plans in 11 African countries. He co-edited “Integrated Water Resource Management in Practice : Better Water Management for Development” (Earthscan 2009) and authored three of the TEC’s most recent policy briefs including Climate Change Adaptation and Integrated Water Resource Management and National Development Planning and IWRM.

 

7.         Dr M Altman

 

Miriam Altman obtained a PhD degree in Economics from the University of Manchester and is currently the Executive Director of the Centre for Poverty, Employment and Growth at the Human Sciences Research Council.  She has held various positions as Convenor, Project Leader for the Evaluation of Spatial Development Initiatives and Project Manager on Employment Strategy and Jobs Summit. Her extensive experience broadly ranges in competitive benchmarking

 

She has been a senior lecturer at the Graduate School of Public & Development Management at the University of the Witwatersrand since 1995.

 

8.         Prof CR Malikane

 

Chris Malikane is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Witwatersrand (University of Johannesburg). He holds a PhD in Economics obtained from the New School for Social Research, New York in 1997. He is the Director of the Macro-Financial Analysis Group at the School of Economic and Business Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand.

He was awarded the Edith Henry Johnson Memorial Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Economics, New School for Social Research, New York in 2007. He has done research on Macroeconometrics; Monetary Economics; Financial Economics; Development Economics, Political Economy, Growth and Business Cycles.

 

9.         Prof Vivienne Taylor

 

Vivienne Taylor currently teaches social policy, development planning and social and economic development in the Department of Social Development at the University of Cape Town. She is the Head of Department. Her career consists of both national and international development experience spanning over 30 years. Approximately 20 years of this being at a senior policy and/or management level.  She has experience of working within the United Nations on a global Commission on Human Security, with Governments, in the non-governmental sector and in academia.

She has researched and written on social policy and development related issues.  She was principal author and researcher of South Africa’s first two Human Development Reports sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme, viz. Human Development and HIV/AIDS in 1998 and Transformation for Human Development in 2000.  In 2008 she completed a 50 country research study for the African Union on Social Protection called Social Protection in Africa: an Overview of the Challenges.  The African Union has adopted the recommendations of the report as a way of ensuring that member states have a coherent policy approach to address national social protection deficits.  She has over 60 publications (chapters in books, research based and peer reviewed articles and conference papers).

 

10.       Prof MM Balintulo

 

 Malusi Marcus Balintulo holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Warwick. He has worked extensively as a lecturer in Departments of Sociology both in South Africa and internationally. He has published extensively in academic journals on a wide range of sociology topics since 1974. His recent focus has been on transformation in the Higher Education sector.

 

He is currently the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Walter Sisulu University. He serves on numerous boards including the following: TELP-USAID Policy Advisory Council;  Representative of HDUS on the Steering Committee; Consultant Editor, South African Journal of Higher Education; Member of the Board of Trustees, National Access Consortium Western Cape; Member of the Board of Trustees, SABTACO (South African Black Technical and Allied Careers Organisation); Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Artscape; Member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for African Alternatives (IFAA); Member of the Editorial Board of New Agenda.

 

 

11.       Ms VF Mahlathi

Vuyokazi Felicity Mahlati is currently completing her PhD at the University of Stellenbosch in Competitive rural economies and global markets: Role of integrated supply chains in commercialization of natural products. She holds an MSc in Social Policy & Planning from the London School of Economics.

She was Program Leader for the national programme for the creation of Small Enterprise and Jobs in the Second Economy - (Feb 2006- Feb 2007). She has held advisory positions to private and public sector institutions including as Program Director in southern African Region responsible for Integrated Rural Development to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Michigan, USA (Jan 2001 to Feb 2005). The Program focuses on socio-economic development - developing market and growth-oriented and sustainable funding options.

 

12.       Prof M Makgoba

Malegapuru William Makgoba is the Vice-Chancellor & Principal of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. An internationally-recognized molecular immunologist, He has received many honours and distinctions, including the Science-for-Society Gold Medal of the Academy of Science of South Africa in 2002; Gold Medal for Outstanding Leadership in Medical Research in 2001; the National Science and Technology Forum’s Award for “Outstanding Contribution to Science, Engineering and Technology in South Africa” 1999, He was elected Foreign Associate Member of the US National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine “In recognition of Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Health” 2002 and selected in 2006 as one of 65 Caring Physicians of the World by the World Medical Association in recognition for upholding “the fundamental and enduring traditions of the medical profession of-care, ethics and science-”.

 

13.       Mr JK Netshitenzhe

Mr Netshitenzhe has a diploma in Political Science from the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow (1984); as well as a post-graduate diploma in Economic Principles (1996) and a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Financial Economics with the University of London (1999).

Before joining the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) as CEO in 1998, he was Head of Communication in President Nelson Mandela’s office. In addition to being GCIS CEO, he was in 2001 appointed Head of the Policy Co-ordination and Advisory Services (PCAS) in The Presidency. He headed the PCAS on a full-time basis from 2006 until his retirement in 2009. He now works as an independent researcher, and is the Executive Director of the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA).

He is a Member of the Advisory Board of the Nelson Mandela Trust, and the Board of CEEF. Africa (a Section 21 company dealing with tertiary education opportunities).

 

 

14.       Prof AA Eberhard

 

Anton Adriaan Eberhard is the Director Director:  Management Programme in Infrastructure Reform and Regulation at the Graduate School of Business at University of Cape Town.  He holds qualifications in economics, management, restructuring and regulation of infrastructure industries – particularly the electricity and water sectors - in support of sustainable development.  He has been extensively involved in Energy and (R&D) policy. Electrification, renewable energy and energy efficiency financing and business models. Programme and Project reviews.

 

15.       Ms B Gasa

Bridgette Gasa holds a Bachelor of Building Arts in Architecture (University of Port Elizabeth), a cum-laude Post-graduate Diploma in Project Management from the Training for Management College (Newport University), a Certificate in Project Management in the Public Sector (University of Stellenbosch), a Masters Degree in Project Management (University of Natal), a Construction Management Programme qualification (University of Stellenbosch) and a Global Executive Development Programme certificate through the Gordon’s Institute of Business Science (GIBS). She is currently completing her PhD in Construction Management with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

She has established the Elilox Trading Pty Ltd as part which focuses on Programme and Project Management Consulting, Infrastructure Planning & Development and Agricultural Enterprises. Gasa is also currently focused on her research work which looks at the utilization of a tool that would improve the competitiveness of small businesses participating within the built environment sectors.

Bridgette GASA is the 2008 recipient of the Department of Science & Technology Award for a Leading Woman Scientist in Industry. She was also unanimously nominated as the first-ever female and first-ever African President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) during the year 2008.

 

16.       Mr TT Goba

 

Trueman Tandabantu Goba is registered as a Professional Engineer and holds a degree in civil engineering at the University of Natal, in Durban and a Master of Engineering degree at Cornell University in Ithaca NY.

He has established a consulting engineering practice with Ebenezer Moahloli Pr.Eng. initially for only Eastern Cape and Gauteng, which multi-disciplinary consulting engineering firm has since grown to more than 500 staff, and has been involved in several award winning projects in SA, including the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Johannesburg, the N4 Platinum Toll Freeway in North West, the Berg River Dam at Franschhoek, Western Cape, the Durban Harbour Tunnel in Kwazulu Natal, the Tsitsa River Bridge in Eastern Cape, and some soccer stadiums for the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament.

 

He is active as a Mentor for young entrepreneurs for the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and a  regular member of the accreditation team of ECSA for engineering programmes at universities. He has served as a member of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) between 2004 and 2008 on appointment by Minister of Public Works Hon Ms Stella Sigcau. 

 

He has been the Director of his companies since 1993.

 

17.       Mr Phillip John Harrison

Phillip John Harrison is currently the Chair of the National Research Foundation on Development Planning & Modelling based at WITS.  He also served as Executive Director: Development Planning and Urban Management, City of Johannesburg.

His area of expertise includes urban management, forward spatial planning.  He also held positions as Professor and Chair of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Witwatersrand, Acting Head of the School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand and was a visiting Leverhulme Research Fellow, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.  He also the position of Assistant Dean for Postgraduate Affairs (Built Environment), Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand.

 

18.       Prof I Rensburg

Ihron Rensburg holds a PhD degree in International Development Education at Stanford University, USA, where he completed his dissertation, with distinction, titled “Collective Identity and Public Policy: From Resistance to Reconstruction in South Africa, 1986-1995”.  He holds an MA degree in Political and Organisational Sociology, also from Stanford University, USA, and a B. Pharmacy degree from Rhodes University. 

Ihron Rensburg is the Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg. He was previously (2001-2006) Chief Executive: Strategic Corporate Services at the South African Broadcasting Corporation, in which capacity he served as Chairman of the National Broadcasting Association (South Africa), President of the Southern Africa Broadcasters Association and Founder of the continental African Broadcasting Union.

As Deputy Director General of the country’s national Department of Education (1995-2001) he led several teams that designed and created the new system of national and provincial education departments, designed and implemented the new National Curriculum for Schools, and developed various policies and legislation for school, further and higher education.

19.       Prof MH Coovadia

Jerry Coovadia is currently the Scientific Director at the Doris Duke Medical Research at the University of Natal.  The Unit’s focuses on Reproductive Health and HIV Research.  He has participated in almost spheres in the medical sciences fraternity such Ad Hominem Paediatrics and Child Health, Immunology etc.  He has contributed to medical journals and publications and is supervising several research dissertations.

He has published leading papers on the basic science and pathogenesis, clinical management, epidemiology, prevention, and contextual factors, for the major causes of morbidity, disability and mortality, among Africa`s children.

 

20.       Dr K van Holdt

 

Karl van Holdt is a research specialist and coordinator. His areas of involvement include a research project on research & transformation intervention at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, research into public hospitals more broadly (DPSA, Development Bank of South Africa, Ministerial Advisory Committee on Health).  He was also a NALEDI Adviser to Labour on the restructuring of Spoornet (2001-2)

 

His area of speciality is social cohesion and social fragmentation involving.  He served in capacities as Principal Investigator, SWOP research programme into collective violence, including strike violence, xenophobic violence and service delivery protests; also an associate of SWOP research into household livelihoods strategies & social reproduction).

 

He is also Coordinator on labour issues, COSATU September Commission on the Future of the Unions, Member, Panel of Experts, Scenario Planning for the future of South Africa, President's Office, South Africa (2002- 3).

 

21.       Prof M Karaan

Mohammed Karaan is the Dean: Faculty of AgriSciences at the University of Stellenbosch.  His areas of specialisation include Agribusiness management, Supply chain management, Informal markets, rural development and poverty issues, Small scale agriculture, small and medium enterprise development, Urban agriculture, Aquaculture and mariculture and Economic empowerment & Transformation.

 

22.       Ms T Essop

 

Tasneem Essop is currently employed by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in South Africa as their International Climate Policy Advocate. She represents the South African office in WWF international’s Global Deal Network Initiative (GDNI). The aim of the Initiative is to secure a binding, fair, effective and science-based multilateral agreement that would be the basis of a post-2012 Climate regime.  She oversees policy development and advocacy in the international climate negotiation process. She is the GDNI’s policy issue lead on Mitigation in Developing countries with a specific focus on the emerging economies and also deals with the issue of Climate Finance.

 

Tasneem was involved in the core drafting team of the NGO Copenhagen Treaty, an NGO proposal that sets the benchmark for what an ambitious new Treaty should be.

 

23.       Mr P Moloi

Pascal Moloi is the Managing Director of the Resolve Group. He has held an extensive number of senior leadership positions in the public sector.  His areas of expertise are Public Sector Management, Change Management and Organisational/institutional Design.  He was the Director Local Government Unit for Planact and focused on managing the Local Government Unit which included teams advising Civic Associations in Johannesburg, Pretoria, the Vaal and Benoni; participating in the Local Government Negotiations Forums.  As Director: Local Economic Development he Managed, in collaboration with the department of Constitutional Development and Provincial Affairs, the Establishment of 1^st Municipal infrastructure Grant worth R500 million and was instrumental in the production of an LED hand book for local Authorities.

 

He also held a position as Chief Executive Officer for the Greater Johannesburg Northern Metropolitan Local Council, Transformation Manager of the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council where he managed together with a ‘Transitional’ City Manager a 2,5 year programme that included Financial Restructuring, Operational and Service line redesign, Political and governance institutional reorganisation and Labour Relations.

 

24.       Dr TV Maphai

 

Vincent Maphai graduated from UNISA with BA degree in 1975. He completed a Bachelor of Philosophy and a Masters Degree in Philosophy (both cum laude) at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. He holds a PhD from the University of Natal, an honours degree in international politics from UNISA and completed an advanced management programme at Harvard University.

For three years he was Research Executive Director at the Human Sciences Research Council.  He is published widely, locally and internationally.  He has held fellowships at universities of Oxford, Harvard, Princeton and Stanford. From 1996 to 1998 he was professor extraordinaire in the Department of Political Science at the University of South Africa (UNISA).

 

He joined the private sector in 1998 as Director at the South African Breweries until 2004. He served as a non executive director of Discovery Holdings Limited, Tongaat Hulett and Rand Mutual Assurance Company Limited (Chairman). He was convenor of Mont Fleur Scenarios in the early nineties, as well as Dinokeng Scenarios in 2008. He was Chairman of the Presidential Review Commission, a body set up by then president Nelson Mandela to investigate government restructuring and service delivery. He served a term as chairman of the SABC from 1999 - 2003.  As well as Council Chair of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.  He is currently Chairman of the National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP).

 

25.       Mr J Vilakazi

 

Jerry Vilakazi has the following academic qualifications: a Bachelors degree from Unisa, a Masters degree from Thames Valley, a Masters degree from London University, an MBA from California Coast University.

 

Jerry is the Chief Executive Officer of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) a confederation of employer and business organizations active in macroeconomic, social policy and the formulation of business positions. BUSA is the principal business organization representing SA business at national and international levels. Prior to joining BUSA he was Managing Director of the Black Management Forum. He is the non-executive chairman of Netcare Limited the largest private healthcare group in Africa.