Celebrating the work of the GCRO Board

On the 19th of June 2023 the GCRO management team and Board fared two of our valued Board members well over dinner at Sanctuary Mandela, and welcomed a new Board member from the Gauteng Provincial Government.

The Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) Board is an active and engaged governance team ensuring the GCRO’s work continues to focus on the priorities we face in the Gauteng City-region and that our research remains policy-relevant. The GCRO is governed through a Constitution as a partnership between the University of Johannesburg (UJ), the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits), the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG), and organised local government in Gauteng (SALGA), all of whom have representatives on the GCRO Board to serve the best interests of the Gauteng City-Region (GCR).

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the University of Johannesburg Professor Saurabh Sinha will join the 150-year-old University of Canterbury in New Zealand on 1 July 2023. Interestingly, Prof Sinha had to give a portion of his public interview lecture in Māori, or te reo Māori, commonly shortened to te reo. We wish Saurabh waimarie pai, good luck and hamba kahle!

Mr Mduduzi Mbada has moved to the office of the Deputy President of South Africa after an important role furthering policy work for the Gauteng Provincial Government. Mr Mbada ensured that Ms Ntombikayise Shangase-Zulu, the acting Head for the Gauteng Office of the Premier Policy Research & Advisory Services Unit, who will be taking on her role as a GCRO Board member with his departure is already a part of the GCRO family. The GCRO looks forward to staying in touch on priority policy issues and also wish Mduduzi all the very best.

Rashid Seedat (GCRO Executive Director); Graeme Gotz; Ms Ntombikayise Shangase-Zulu (GPG OoP); Dr Richard Ballard; Prof Lynn Morris (Wits DVC and GCRO Co-Chairperson); Melinda Swift; Prof Saurabh Sinha (outgoing UJ DVC and GCRO Co-Chairperson); Ruth Mohamed; Prof Fiona Tregenna (UJ Saarchi Chair); Mr Mduduzi Mbada (Office of the Deputy President of South Africa)

During the evening’s discussions the Board reflected on the strengthened partnership between founding member organisations, progress with the GCRO five-year strategy (adopted in 2020), the successful restating and adoption of the GCRO Constitution (adopted in August 2022), and the re-energised culture brought through the executive leadership of Mr Rashid Seedat. Prof Lynn Morris particularly noted that Prof Sinha and Mr Mbada played critical roles in leading the GCRO to these achievements.

Ms Ruth Mohamed, GCRO’s Office and Finance Manager reflected that “it was lovely to hear from the GCRO Board how much they value and appreciate the work we do, and the passion they have for the GCRO”.

The GCRO team thanks the past and present GCRO Board members (https://www.gcro.ac.za/about/board/) and Prof Lynn Morris (who will Chair the GCRO Board in 2023), for their ongoing service and generous guidance and support for the work of the GCRO.