Science and technology minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has announced the six new board members of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The board of directors, who were appointed by the minister and endorsed by Cabinet, will bring specific domain expertise in the area of science and technology, effective from 1 January.
Among the new board members are Stafford Masie, founder and CEO of payments platform, Thumbzup and founder of GattacaZA; MD of SDB Gas, Cassim Ebrahim Shariff; and Dr Amber-Robyn Childs, lecturer at the Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries at Rhodes University.
In its new role, the board has been tasked with supporting the CEO and the executive team with determining the policy and objectives of the CSIR, and exercising control over the performance of the organisation's functions, and the execution of the organisation's mandate.
The CSIR, an entity of the Department of Science and Technology, consists of 10 operational units that perform relevant multidisciplinary research and development.
"The newly appointed board [members] have achieved distinction in the field of science and technology, and have special knowledge or experience in relation to some aspect of the CSIR's functions," according to the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
"When considering the balance of knowledge and skills, the panel took into account the capacity of an individual to influence preferred outcomes (internally and externally) through his/her involvement on the board; the extent to which an individual has the opportunity to meaningfully contribute his/her time and abilities to the affairs of the board; and other necessary skills such as finance, legal and governance and human resources."
The four members who sat on the previous board and were reappointed are: Professor Thokozani Majozi (chairperson); Phindile Baleni (DG: Gauteng Office of the Premier); Joel Netshitenzhe (executive director of Mapungwe Institute for Strategic Reflection); and Dr Ramatsemela Masango (executive director at Mzansi Energy Solutions).
New names
The new board members are:
- Dr Amber-Robyn Childs, lecturer: Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries at Rhodes University
- Dr Vuyo Mthethwa, managing consultant at HUCAD
- Dr Christine Render, chartered engineer and consultant at Owner Team Consultation
- Tiny Mokhabuki, former finance manager at Aspen Pharmacare Group
- Cassim Ebrahim Sharif, MD of SDB Gas
- Stafford Masie, founder and CEO of payments platform, Thumbzup and founder of GattacaZA
The minister has expressed confidence in the new board, which is appointed for a four-year term, notes the DST.
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