Board

Khululekile Mase is currently the DDG responsible for Urban Planning at Gauteng CoGTA. He is mainly responsible for Integrated Development Planning, Spatial Planning, Municipal Infrastructure Support & Planning and Intergovernmental Relations. He spent 8 years in the Office of the Premier, where he led on Spatial & Infrastructure Planning, Long Term Planning and Research.

He has many years of experience in local and provincial government, focusing on policy, research, planning, monitoring and evaluation. He also worked for the then Gauteng Department of Local Government and Housing, the City of Cape Town and SALGA. He is a graduate of the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Birmingham (UK).

Lynn Morris is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has a DPhil from the University of Oxford and is Research Professor and Director of the Antibody Immunity Research Unit based at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS). Over the last 28 years she has made significant contributions to understanding the antibody response to HIV and is responsible for performing validated antibody assays for HIV clinical trials. Lynn is an NRF A-rated scientist, has published over 270 papers holding an H-Index of 63 and has featured in the Web of Science list of highly cited researchers. She is a member of Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), the Royal Society of South Africa (FRSSA) and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).

Dr Mfaniseni Fana Sihlongonyane is a professor of Development Planning and Urban Studies in the School of Architecture and Planning at Wits University. He studied Geography and Theology at the University of Swaziland in which he got a 2:1 in 1992. In 1993, he trained as a teacher to obtain a Post-graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with distinction. From 1994 to 1995, he did a Masters in Development Planning at Wits University and from 2004 to 2008 he obtained a doctorate (DPhil) at Oxford University. He has been the undergraduate coordinator in the School between 2008 and 2011. He was director of the Planning Programme from 2011 to 2014. He also served as a member as well as the Alternate chair of the South African Council of Planners in 2008-2012 and 2013 to 2017 respectively. He was chairperson of the Scientific Committee for the 52nd Congress of ISOCARP which was held in Durban in 2016. He has been a hall coordinator at Esselen Residence between 1997-2003 and warden for EOH Residence from 2007 to 2020.

In the university, Fana is the Principal Investigator for the WITS-TUB Collaboration project between the university and the Technical University of Berlin, Germany which offers six PhD and 13 masters scholarships as well as staff and students exchange with a total funding of 450 000 Euros per annum over five years. He has recently been a member of the following university committees: University Senate; (2011-14) University Human Resources Committee, University Campus Planning and Development Committee (2012-15); University EXCO-Convocation; University Sexual Harassment Committee; Faculty Board, Faculty Teaching and Learning Committee (2011-2014); Faculty Performance Policy Appraisal Committee (only in 2012), Faculty of Humanities Staffing and Promotions Committee (2012 to date); School chair of the Undergraduate Committee (2007-2012); member of the School EXCO (2012-2013); School Policy Committee; Postgraduate Committee (2011-2012); Space Development Committee (2012-2013); Research Development Working Group (2014 to date) and Occupational Health and Safety Environment Committee (2014 - 2017). CUBES exec 2012 to date; Post-graduate Coordinator 2016 to 2019.

Fiona Tregenna is a Professor in the Department of Economics and Econometrics at the University of Johannesburg. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Cambridge, a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst), and earlier degrees from the Universities of the Witwatersrand and Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal).

In the past she has worked for among others the National Labour and Economic Development Institute, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, universities in South Africa and abroad, and as a consultant to various research institutes and international organisations.

Her research has been published or is forthcoming in journals including Review of Political Economy, Cambridge Journal of Economics, Applied Economics, International Review of Applied Economics, South African Journal of Economics, Development Southern Africa, European Journal for the History of Economic Thought, Review of African Political Economy and Industrial and Corporate Change, as well as a number of book chapters.

Fiona has presented her research at conferences and seminars in the United States, Brazil, Japan, Greece, Finland, Chile, Cuba, Turkey, Spain, India, China, Switzerland, Ghana, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

Cllr Nonkoliso Tundzi-Hawu matriculated in 1991 at Ntabankulu Senior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape. She studied Public Management with UNISA (not completed). She obtained a certificate on councillor development and leadership certificate at the University of Pretoria, certificate on municipal governance at Wits University and attended different seminars and training programmes.

She is the Councillor and Speaker at the West Rand District Municipality (WRDM) since 2016. She held the position of Councillor and Executive Mayor of Westonaria local municipality between 2011 and 2016. Between 2008 and 2011 she held the position of Councillor and Speaker at WRDM. She was also a Councillor and EXCO member at Westonaria municipality between 2000 and 2006. She was a temporary admin worker at Westonaria Local municipality in 1997 until 2000 and a Community Peace Worker between 1995 and 1997. She served in various council committees ( Finance, LED, Housing, etc.) during her time of service as a Councillor in 2000. She was elected a SALGA PEC member in 2016 to date and SALGA Gauteng Deputy Chairperson in 2022.

Cllr Tundzi-Hawu's professional mission statement is to serve the community with integrity. She believes that Local Government (LG) needs dedicated and skilled personnel and people with passion to serve the community. Resource allocation needs to be improved (Dora, equitable share, MIG etc) and LG must be helped to improve revenue collection (most people fall in the indigent list). She believes that the grading formula needs to be reconsidered, especially where there are districts and locals, provision of more support for LED programmes, continuous capacity building for both officials and councillors and mining sector billing on rates and taxes needs to be scrutinised and improved.

Prior to joining SALGA, she worked extensively on German Development Corporation, and her focus was on facilitating technical and strategic planning sessions for municipalities in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape; development and support for the establishment of Community of Practice Blue Print for participating municipalities.

She has also occupied various senior roles in the following organisations: Harith General Partners; UN Women; Toti Capital and Vaux Media. Furthermore, she also worked as Interim Chief Executive Officer Soweto Community Television (Stv) where she was responsible for the development of the Channel Strategy and facilitated the Board & Executive Management Strategy Lekgotla.

In addition, she also held the role Chief Executive Officer at Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP); and her focus was on Corporate Finance, Human Resources and Administration; Management Services including: Policy Development of the military veterans support, Strategic Planning, Performance Management System and Support Services; as well as Human Development Services.

Some of her achievements include the following: The Development of the UN Women Flagship Program Strategy for the SA Multi-country office; Development of the Integrated Social, Health & Community Development Services functions; and the Development of the Women, Children, Youth and Gender Mainstreaming Policies & Strategies for the City of Johannesburg. She also played a pivotal role in the development of the Early Childhood Policy and Strategy; Development of the Vulnerable Support and Expanded Social Package Programme; as well as the establishment of the HIV Council Chaired by the then Executive Mayor for the City of Johannesburg.

Furthermore, she also facilitated community participation & networks development & management of Civic Programs & Projects; and was also instrumental in the establishment of the Migrants Policy and Programme for the City of Johannesburg; as well as the Development of Youth, Women & PWD Business Incubation Empowerment Programme.

Pilisiwe is in possession of Masters in Public Management and Development; as well as the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management and Development from Regenesys School of Public Management. She also holds a Senior Diploma in Paralegal Studies from the South African School of Paralegal Studies; Certificate in Labour Development Programme from Wits Business School. Furthermore, she also completed her Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Lesotho.