University Council

Prof Thoko Mayekiso, is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga with effect from 1 November 2014.

She obtained a BA, BA Honours, and MA in Psychology, from the University of Fort Hare. She furthered her studies at the Free University Berlin, in Germany, where she obtained her D. Phil (cum laude) in Psychology. She also holds a Higher Education Diploma (Post Graduate) from the University of South Africa. She is a registered Clinical Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. In her sterling academic career, Prof Mayekiso has held positions of Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Professor, Head of Department, and Vice Dean at the then University of Transkei.  She practiced as Honorary Clinical Fellow at the Greenwood Institute of Child Health, University of Leicester and simultaneously served as a Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Medical Psychology, Leicester General Hospital in the United Kingdom.  Being a distinguished scholar, and accomplished academic, Prof Mayekiso attracted a number of scholarships and fellowships. Notable among these are the German Academic Exchange Scholarship (DAAD) and the Commonwealth Fellowship tenable in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, she was awarded a certificate from the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) - in acknowledgement of the contribution made to the Profession of Psychology in South Africa. The South African University Vice-Chancellors Association and the American Council on Education awarded her a fellowship which was tenable at the University of Washington, Seattle. She then joined the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in 2001 where she served as Head of School, Deputy Dean, and then Acting Executive Dean in the Faculty of Humanities. She proceeded to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in 2007, as an Executive Dean in the Faculty of Arts, and then Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Engagement) in 2009.  

She has published in accredited journals - both nationally and internationally. She has also contributed chapters in no less than seven books. The themes on which she published are wide and varied, but the core areas have been in adolescent sexuality, HIV and AIDs prevention programmes and mental health. In terms of student supervision, she has supervised twenty-four (24) Masters Students and twelve (12) Doctoral students. She is a C3 rated scientist by the National Research Foundation and a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa.

Mr Aling studied at Stellenbosch (1982-84) where he received a B. Agric Admin degree in agricultural economics and management. Post graduate studies included a BCom Hons at Wits while in Johannesburg at the Development Bank (1986-87) and later a M.Sc. in agricultural economics at Michigan State University in the USA (1990-1991).
 

He has been involved in the real estate sector for the last 25 years having been the Managing Director of HL Hall and Sons Properties (Pty) Ltd until Feb 2018. James is currently the owner of Spaces Places & Partnerships, an urban management business that manages the Riverside Park mixed use node, which is a vibrant growing precinct on 185 Ha of land, and the Riverside Industrial Park.
 

Mr. Mark Schormann possesses extensive qualifications and a diverse professional background. He completed his Master's in Technology Entrepreneurship from the University of Maryland College Park in 2018, summa cum laude. Additionally, he is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) which has a strong emphasis on Finance, Economics, and Corporate Governance. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Natal in 1987 and a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Economics, Computer Science, and Statistics from UNISA in 2000.

Mark has a strong track record of continuous learning and has completed various short courses, including Social Network Analysis from the University of Michigan and Financial Markets from Yale University, among many others.

In terms of his employment history, Mark has held notable positions. He currently serves as the Chief Product and Technology Officer for Eurostep Digital and before that was CTO for Mi-C3 a software company with operations across Africa, the Middle East and Europe.  Prior to that he was Project Manager and Team Leader at Makhosikati Trading (Pty) Ltd, overseeing the implementation a portion of SA-Connect - a wireless network project that provides internet services to rural schools and government facilities. He was also a part-time Lecturer at the University of Mpumalanga, where he taught courses in Financial Management, Programming, and Networking.

Mark also has experience as a Project Leader at Bardolino Consulting, where he developed a comprehensive system for the Risk-Based Inspection of Vodacom towers in Southern Africa. He served as Chairman of MPowerFM (Pty) Ltd, leading the company through various challenges, and played a pivotal role in its Business Rescue process.

Furthermore, he has a rich history as the founder-owner and General Manager of SoftNet Internet Services cc, where he established and managed an Internet Service Provider and expanded services into cloud-based technologies. Mark's career journey also includes founding MKH Technologies cc, specializing in GIS and software development.

Notably, Mark Schormann contributed to scientific research in cloud physics and airborne data acquisition and published several papers in international journals on the topcis. He is deeply engaged in community service and leadership, serving on various boards and committees related to education, environmental conservation, and business development.

Mark Schormann is an experienced leader with a passion for entrepreneurship and community involvement, making a meaningful impact in both professional and community spheres.
 

Dr Patrick Hawkins Maduna Dr Maduna was born in Ngodwana, a farm situated about 50km west of Nelspruit where SAPPI is located. His family was affected by the forced removals of the then South African apartheid government where families were taken to Pienaar Trust (Msogwaba Trust) north-east of Nelspruit in 1963.

Dr Maduna received his primary education at Ngodwana and Kaapschehoop consecutively and obtained his junior certificate with a distinction in 1971 at Khumbula High School situated outside White River in the Mpumalanga Province. He obtained his Senior Certificate at the then Amanzimtoti Zulu Training College (now called Adams College) situated in Adams Mission, 8 km inland from Amanzimtoti south of Durban, in 1974. He participated in student activities and was elected as a prefect. He went on to further his undergraduate studies at the then University of the North (now called Limpopo), where he was registered for a B. Pharm degree. However, due to political upheavals at that university, he went to Durban where he registered at the then-University of Natal (Black Section) for an MBChB medical degree which he obtained in 1980. Dr

Maduna started his medical career at Themba Hospital in KaBokweni within the City of Mbombela where he did his medical internship. He was the first black medical doctor in Mbombela. After completing his internship, Dr Maduna continued his services at Themba Hospital as a medical officer and later as the first black medical superintendent of the hospital. At the same time, Dr Maduna furthered his studies and obtained his Masters’ Degree in Family Medicine in 1987 from the then Medical University of Southern Africa (MEDUNSA) now called Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. He was appointed as a part-time lecturer at the same university after that.

In 1988 Dr Maduna was appointed by the then Chief Minister of the KaNgwane Homeland government to the position of Minister of Health and Welfare, a position that assisted him to contribute to the improvement of health service delivery in the KaNgwane Homeland. When the CODESA process started in 1991, Dr Maduna represented the Inyandza National Movement (the ruling party of the homeland) where he chaired the CODESA Working Group 3 that developed the transitional constitution for South Africa. During this time, Dr Maduna also held the cabinet positions of Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, followed by that of Minister of Home Affairs in KaNgwane.

Dr Maduna left the public sector in 1994 to be full-time in his private practice in KaNyamazane as a specialist family physician. He continued with his part-time academic work with MEDUNSA until 2003 when he joined MEDUNSA as a senior lecturer and principal medical specialist in the department of Family Medicine and Primary Health care. During his tenure as the lecturer, Dr Maduna supported several post-graduate students in research. In support of students from other African states, Dr Maduna undertook numerous academic trips to countries such as Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In 2004 Dr Maduna was appointed Chief Executive Officer for Dr George Mukhari Hospital, north of Pretoria. He was transferred to the Gauteng Department of Health head office in 2006 where he was made the Provincial Family Medicine Specialist, tasked to coordinate Family Medicine and Primary Health Care activities in the province. Dr Maduna was also given the responsibilities of Chief Director responsible for District Health Services for Johannesburg/West Rand and Tshwane/Metsweding regions.

Dr Maduna joined the Department of Defense in 2010 as a Lieutenant Colonel and Chief Specialist responsible for Family Medicine and Primary Health Care, based at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. At the same time, he was the head of the South African Military Service Phidisa Research Project on HIV and AIDS, in collaboration with the US Defence Force and the US National Institutes for Health. In the meantime, Dr Maduna obtained his Masters’ Degree from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom.

In 2014, Dr Maduna joined the Eastern Cape Department of Health (ECDOH) as Deputy Director-General responsible for clinical management services. During this time, he interacted with the four universities within the province and facilitated the formation of an academic forum that brought the four universities and the ECDOH together for joint planning, implementation and monitoring of academic programmes and research. In the meantime, Dr Maduna obtained his PhD from the University of Fort Hare focusing on clinical governance.

After retiring from full-time public, private and academic work in 2017, Dr Maduna served as a medical specialist responsible for clinical governance in the Mpumalanga Department of Health between 2017 and 2020, and as a technical specialist responsible for health systems strengthening for Right to Care NPC, seconded to the NDOH between 2022 and 2023. He is currently a member of the advisory committee for the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS), a member of the advisory panel of the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) and the Health Ombud, a Director of Affinity Health Insurance, a Member of the Ehlanzeni Mental Health Review Board in Mpumalanga, and a member of the UMP Council.

Prof Moses Mbewe originates from the Nkomazi region of the Province of Mpumalanga, in South Africa.  He received his early education in the same area up to high school.  He furthered his education by obtaining his BSc (4 years) in Biology at Texas Southern University, in the USA, graduating with Summa cum Laude status in 1989.  He did his postgraduate studies (Masters and PhD) at the University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, in the UK from 1991 to 1994 in Microbial Genetics and Molecular Biology.  He went on to become the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Microbiology at the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 1995 to 96.  He worked as senior lecturer teaching Microbiology at the University of the North, which became University of Limpopo from 1996 to 2004 and 2012 to 2015. During the second stint at UL, he served as Head of Department of Water and Sanitation and Acting Director of the School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences.  He also worked at the Northwest University as an Associate Professor and Director of the School of Agricultural Sciences from 2005 to 2011, teaching Microbiology. 

He assumed his duties at the University Mpumalanga as Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at the beginning of 2016 and served in this role up to June 2023.  He has served as Thrust Leader for Biotechnology at the University of Limpopo, as Board member of the Agricultural Research Council, South African Society for Microbiology, Northwest Nguni Cattle Development Trust, Limpopo Agriculture MEC Advisory Council, and ordinary member of the World Economic Forum 2001-2004.  He served as Member and Chairperson of the National Task Force for the Containment of Polio in Labs (NTF), a ministerial advisory committee for the National Department of Health from 2007 to 2023, and Council on Higher Education (HEQC) as Programme Evaluator.  He is, further, serving as a Council and EXCO member of the University of Mpumalanga Council.

He has since been appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor: Post Graduate Studies, Engagement and Planning (DVC: PSEP) beginning of July 2023.  In his new role, he will be responsible for Postgraduate Studies, Engagement, Continuing Education and Student and Graduate Placement, Alumni Affairs and Convocation, Institutional Planning, HEMIS and Monitoring and Evaluation.

Prof Aldo Stroebel
Prof Aldo Stroebel is the inaugural Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Innovation and Internationalisation, appointed on 1 July 2023. The portfolio provide strategic leadership for all aspects related to research, innovation and partnerships, and executive management of Library and Information Services and Institutional Centres and Institutes.
 
A recognised scholar in sustainable agriculture, Prof Stroebel was elected as a founding member of the SA Young Academy of Science (SAYAS). He is a Foreign Fellow of the Ugandan National Academy of Sciences, Senior Fellow of the Pan-African Scientific Research Council, and an Honorary Scholar at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria. He was a former Visiting Fellow at Cornell University’s Institute for African Development (IAD).
 
He had a comprehensive and globally diverse higher education training profession: BSc- and Hons-degrees (University of Pretoria); Masters in International Agricultural Development (University of Ghent, Belgium); PhD in Sustainable Agriculture (Joint Programme between the University of the Free State and Cornell University, USA); Postdoctoral research (Wageningen University, The Netherlands). Professional training courses have been completed in Research Management in Australia, in Gender Programming in The Netherlands, Diversity Leadership in the USA, and Corporate Governance in South Africa.
 
Prof Stroebel serves as Board Member of the Water Research Commission, as Co-Chair of the Australia-Africa University Network (AAUN), as a member of University South Africa's (USAf) Research and Innovation Strategy Group (RISG), as member of iThemba LABS's Scientific Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), and as Steering Committee member of the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS).
 
Dr Stroebel joined UMP from the National Research Foundation (NRF) where has was Executive Director Strategic Partnerships (2013-2023), with demonstrated success in developing a comprehensive suite of significant partnership and collaborative engagements for the NRF, with high levels of resource leveraging, contributing to and positioning South Africa’s National System of Innovation (NSI). Prior to the NRF, he worked at the University of the Free State (2003-2013) as Senior Lecturer; Associate Professor in the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture; Founding Director of International Affairs; and Director International Academic and Transformation Projects in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and Rector. He was involved in the designing and implementation of numerous policy, organisational and development systems and strategies for the management and mentoring of multicultural teams, and establishing and guiding multi-sectoral partnerships and networks in support of research and innovation. During 1998-2002, he was a researcher and lecturer at the Postgraduate School of Agriculture and Rural Development, University of Pretoria, and Coordinator and Researcher of the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), a WK Kellogg Foundation-funded initiative in six countries.
 

Prof Mashudu Davhana-Maselesele originates from Ha-Davhana, a rural village in the Limpopo Province. She began her career as a nurse and midwife at the then Venda Nursing College, subsequently working as a Professional Nurse at Donald Fraser Hospital. Later, she transitioned to a teaching role at the Venda Nursing College. Throughout her academic journey, she earned various qualifications, including a BA(Cur) in Nursing Education and Community Health Nursing Science (UNISA), Honours BA(Cur) in Nursing Education (UNISA), Diploma in Primary Health Care (University Johannesburg) with cum Laude, Masters in Nursing Education (UNISA), and a PhD in Programme Development (University of Johannesburg). Additionally, she pursued postdoctoral studies at the University of California (Los Angeles, USA) with a focus on trauma research, specifically Gender-Based Violence. She also did a Postgraduate Diploma in International Research Ethics in Southern Africa (IRENSA) at UCT in 2007.

Her academic career started at the University of Venda between 1998 and 2007, where she progressed from Junior Lecturer to Senior Lecturer, teaching nursing programmes from undergraduate to postgraduate levels. Subsequently, she spent a decade at North-West University (NWU), holding key academic leadership positions, namely; Executive Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Vice Rector for Teaching/Learning and Research, and Campus Rector of Mafikeng.  She later moved to the Eastern Cape Province where she served as Rector of the Mthatha Campus at Walter Sisulu University for two years before becoming Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic Affairs and Research for two years.

During her tenure at NWU, she played a pivotal role in raising funds for capacity development, establishing research collaborations, and creating doctoral sandwich programmes for young academics. Her research primarily focuses on Gender-Based Violence and vicarious trauma among caregivers, particularly in the context of HIV and AIDS. As a passionate advocate of Problem-Based Learning, she has conducted training on the use of PBL as a teaching strategy in collaboration with Mc Master University (Canada).  She has supervised and co-supervised 24 Masters and Doctoral candidates and published articles in accredited journals nationally and internationally. She also mentored Post-Doctoral Fellows in collaboration with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Presently, she is actively involved in a 5-year project for Sustainable Academic Capacity Building for Excellence through Research and Training (SACERT) Programme developing research capacity amongst young academics pursuing their doctoral studies in South Africa, collaborating with the following institutions: UCLA (USA), NWU, SU, UCT, UL, UNIVEN,WSU and HSRC.
 
She served as Editor-in-Chief of CURATIONIS, an accredited journal, and was a member of the South African Nursing Council (SANC) for a decade. She has been involved in programme development and reviews nationwide through participation in the Council on Higher Education (CHE) activities.
 
She has since been appointed as Deputy Vice Chancellor: Teaching and Learning (DVC: T/L) in January 2024. She will be responsible for intellectual and strategic leadership in the areas of Teaching and Learning.

Professor Modimowabarwa holds a doctorate in Administration from the University of Pretoria and received a Certificate in International Economic and Financial Negotiations from the International Institute of Public Administration in France. He is a recipient of the 2022 Star of Discovery Global Award, WHITRAP under the auspices of UNESCO.
 
He is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law at the University of Venda and former Divisional Strategic Lead and Research Director at the Human Sciences Research Council. Prof Kanyane currently serves as a member of the University of Mpumalanga Council as a ministerial appointee since 2020. In the Council, he chairs Strategic Committee and serves on HR and Remuneration Committees as a member.
 
He is a renowned researcher in South Africa who has an extensive range of experience in governance, public ethics, accountability, public finance, service delivery and intergovernmental relations within the broader field of Public Administration. Professor Kanyane participated in BRICS activities as SABTT Chair of the Political and Economic Governance Cluster and various fourth industrial revolution discussions.
 
Prof Kanyane reached over 100-mark participation in local and international conference activities and produced over 100 scientific academic and research outputs including those in peer-reviewed and accredited journals as a social science research scientist.
 
Prof Kanyane scooped two HSRC Senior Research Excellence Awards in 2015 and 2018 and has extensive experience in public administration and a speciality in governance for more than twenty years.

Dr Nomvula Twaise is currently the Director of Student Housing at the University of Mpumalanga. Having worked extensively in the area of HIV and AIDS at Walter Sisulu University, where she started working as a Student Counsellor/Psychologist and a Student Affairs Practitioner for 12 years. Her work led her into caring for students living with HIV and AIDS, and this cause drove her to pioneer the establishment of the Centre for HIV and AIDS in the University when Anti-retroviral drugs in South Africa were not offered yet. She worked as the Director of the Centre for HIV and AIDS for 8 years. 

Dr Twaise obtained a BA, BA Hons at the then University of Transkei. On obtaining a scholarship to study abroad, she then proceeded to study MA in Psychology at Wayne State University, Michigan, USA. She further advanced her studies by obtaining an Executive MBA from the Business School of Netherlands/South Africa. She continued to study while working and obtained her PhD in Psychology from Nelson Mandela University. She is a TRE practitioner and has just added executive and management coaching to her skills. 
 

Sibusiso Ntshebe is a Practicing Advocate and Council Member at the University of Mpumalanga (UMP). He obtained his LLB Degree and Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). He holds two Master’s Degrees, an LLM (Corporate) Degree from the University of South Africa (Unisa) and Master in Business Administration from the UKZN.

He was admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa in 2006. His academic background in law and business administration affords him the ability to meaningfully contribute to both the legal practice and the business arena.

Sibusiso has extensive experience in the legal fraternity spanning over 18 years in various capacities, including serving as legal advisor, practicing as an attorney under the name Ntshebe & Company and subsequently as an advocate. As an advocate, Sibusiso is a member of the KwaZulu Natal Society of Advocates and has served as an Executive Committee Member of the Advocates for Transformation – KZN.

His engagement experience spans over a wide range of industries/business sectors which include Aviation, Mining, Construction & Engineering, Energy & Power, Conservation, Waste Management, Health Industry, Industrial and Manufacturing. He has sat in numerous Boards such as The Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Board, Prasa Board of Control, Autopax Board, Kagosano board of Trustees, Maxiprest Tyres Board.

His last employment was with Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Africa as a Chief Corporate Officer, building Medupi and Kusile power stations. Prior to that he worked for Anglo American Platinum as Head of Transformation. He previously also held Director Positions with several companies like Pikitup, a Johannesburg City’s Waste Management Company, and Maxiprest Tyres, a Bridgestone South Africa subsidiary. Also worked for SANParks as HoD Human Resources and at SAA in numerous senior positions.

He holds a PhD in International Commercial Law from Selinus University, Italy. A Master’s Degree in Commercial Law from Salford University in the UK, a BA and a BA Honor’s Degree in Industrial Psychology from UNW. Has done DPLR with Unisa School of Business Leadership. He also holds various secondary qualifications.

LEBAKENG Josiah is Professor at the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, UNISA. He heads the focus area of security and intelligence studies. He studied sociology at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, urban sociology at University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania human services administration at Springfield College, Massachusetts, USA and obtained a doctorate from the University of the North (now University of Limpopo). He previously taught at the University of Limpopo, Vista University (now University of Johannesburg)

He worked at the South African Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York during South Africa’s non-permanent tenure in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) from February 2007 to December 2008 and February 2011 to December 2012 and continued with the United Nations General Assembly in 2013 to 2014. In November 2017 to November 2018, he was Head of Intelligence for SADC Preventative Mission in Lesotho (SAPMIL).Professor Lebakeng is author of an autobiography titled They Blunted Us: June 16, Exile and Homecoming (Ziable Publisher, 2021).

Prof. Funso Raphael Kutu is a trained agronomy-soil scientist with extensive research and teaching expertise. He currently serves as Head of School at the School of Agricultural Sciences. He earned a BSc. Honours in Agriculture, MSc in Agronomy (Soil Science) and a PhD from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. Prof. Kutu began his academic career as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Ibadan. He later joined Ahmadu Bello University's Division of Agricultural Colleges in Zaria, Nigeria, as a Lecturer II and was promoted to Lecturer I after three years. He also served as Head of the Agricultural Technology Programme and Coordinator of the 'Students' Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES)' program in the same university. He worked in various institutions in South Africa before joining the University of Mpumalanga in 2018. These include the University of Fort Hare as a postdoctoral researcher, Agricultural Research Council - Grain Crops Institute (ARC-GCI), Potchefstroom as a Senior Researcher, Soil Scientist-Plant Nutrition; University of Limpopo as a Senior Lecturer in Soil Science and Associate Professor (Soil Science) in 2012. He worked briefly as a Team Manager in the Soil Health and Remediation programme at the Agricultural Research Council, Institute for Soil, Climate and Water (ARC-ISCW), Pretoria before joining the North-West University (NWU), Mafikeng Campus in August 2014 as a Professor of Agronomy. He was the team leader for the Plant Production research sub-group in the Food Security and Safety Niche Area, and Programme Leader for the Crop Science Programme in the School of Agricultural Sciences.

The theme for his research is “Improving sustainability and agro-ecosystem resilience through innovative soil fertility and nutrients management practices, and improved soil health for food and nutrition security”. His research works encompass Soil fertility evaluation and management, improved agronomic practices, cropping systems, nutrient dynamics in soil-plant systems, soil-crop-microbes interaction, microbial inoculants, compost science and utilization for soil health and crop yield improvement, and Green Chemistry. He served as Associate Editor in Agronomy Journal (USA) and currently serves as Chairperson of the Mpumalanga Agricultural Research Committee (MARC) on behalf of the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA). He is a member of the Water Research Commission (WRC) project reference group. He equally serves as external examiner to many universities as well as assessor for promotion to professorship and associate professorship (readership) in several universities. He has published widely in accredited journals mostly internationally, and graduated Master and Doctoral students. He is a registered member of several professional bodies including the South African Council of Natural Scientific Profession (SACNASP), the Soil Science Society of South Africa, the Soil Science Society of Nigeria, the Soil Science Society of America and the Agronomy Society of America. He is a C2 rated scientist by the National Research Foundation of South Africa.
 

Prof Estelle Boshoff is an Industrial Psychologist and Head of the School of Development Studies, including the Bachelor in Commerce, Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Bachelor of Development Studies, and Bachelor of Administration programmes at the University of Mpumalanga (UMP). She serves on Senate; the Executive Committee of the Teaching and Learning Committee; the Information Services Committee of the Senate, the Quality Assurance Committee, and the Students' Appeal Committee at the University.

Her research projects include: The relationship between work stress and organisational climate among UFS, Library personnel (Honours script, 1997), the  relationship between work stress and personality factors among  non-commissioned officers in the South African Defence Force (Masters dissertation, 2001). She received her PhD in 2010 under the topic: The Development of a Work Ethics Questionnaire based on a Holistic Philosophical Model of Ethical Decision-Making.

Some of her accolades include an award for the best paper from the Clute Institute for Academic Research at the 2008 Business and Economics Conferences (EABR) and Teaching and Education Conferences (TLC), in Rothenberg, Germany. She also received the best paper award from the Clute Institute for Academic Research for a paper delivered at the 2009 Business and Economics Conference (EABR) in Prague, Czech Republic.
 
Prof Boshoff is also Chair of the Research Ethics Committee at UMP, and Chair of the Research Ethics Committee of the Mpumalanga Provincial Government. Her fields of specialization are Research Methodology, Human Resource Management, Work Ethics, and Gender-based Violence.

 

Ms Ncumisa Brenda Mfihlo has been in the Information Technology industry for over 26 years, holding several positions. During her career, she obtained vast experience in IT Strategy and Planning, IT Operations, IT Service Management, IT Project and Portfolio Management, IT Financial Management, and IT Governance and Compliance, in the IT Services industry, Telecommunications, Road Transport (freight), Airline and in Education Industries. Brenda held various IT senior management and executive management roles in different corporate organizations including a CIO role. As an extensive traveler worldwide, she has gained knowledge and experience in the provision of global technology solutions that are relevant and aligned to corporate strategy, supporting key strategic objectives such as customer experience, growth strategies, partnerships, and alliances.
 
She is a good communicator, and a leader that influences, inspires, and collaborates with her teams to ensure that everyone working with her is empowered and supported to excel in their performance. In any new environment, she seeks to understand the business levers that drive the company’s growth and profitability and align those with the business strategy. She is a highly independent individual who thrives on excellent performance.She has achieved several professional and academic qualifications with two fundamental qualifications: MBA from Henley Business School and an International Executive Development Programme (NQF Level 8) from Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria. She is currently pursuing her second master’s degree in Energy Leadership at Wits Business School. During her career, she had the opportunity to serve on the following committees and sub-committees within the organizations; Executive Committee level, Bid Adjudication Committees, IT & Business Steering Committees, and IT Governance & Compliance committees. She also served on the Customer Advisory Board for SITA Aero for 4 years – this is an international structure connecting Airline and Airport executives with Aviation Industry Experts.

Dr Adv. Makhura is an allrounder professional in possession of Phd in Information Science and LLB. He started his career as a lecturer at then Modjajdi College of Education. Dr Adv. Makhura is an admitted Advocate of the High Court of South Africa with special interests in the Bill of Rights. Apart from legal profession, he is a qualified professional in the following disciplines i.e. Teaching and Enterprise Information Management. Dr Adv. Makhura gained corporate governance experience from following organizations as a Board Member i.e. Limpopo Department of Sports, Arts and Culture as a member of advisory council in Limpopo Library and Information Services Council; Member of National Council of Library and Information Service (NCLIS); Chairperson of the National Archives Advisory Council; Member of National Heritage Council (NHC) Board; Chairperson of the SABS Technical Committee in Document Management; Member of Mangosuthu University of Technology Council; Member of National Library of South Africa Board.
 
Apart from cooperate governance, Dr Adv. Makhura is an academic with more than 5 peer-reviewed published articles. He served as a supervisor for Masters and Phd students at University of South Africa.
 
Professionally, Dr Adv. Makhura is a member of Legal Practice Council (LPC), South African Society of Archivists etc.