Membership of the Wits Council
The following is a list of members of the University Council appointed in terms of the Statute of the University.
Council Membership 2025
Section |
Membership type |
Incumbent |
Qualifications |
Other positions/achievements |
Term |
|
9.(1)(a)
|
Chair
|
Mr Isaac Shongwe
|
BA Hons (Economics and Politics) (Wesleyan, USA, P.Phil (Oxford)
|
Founder and Chairman of Letsema Holdings; Former CEO of Barloworld Logistics Africa; Former Barloworld Limited Board Member; Rhodes Scholarship recipient
|
14 June 2017 – 13 June 2019 (Term extended to 31 December 2025)
|
|
9.(1)(b)
|
Vice-Chair
|
Mr Terence Nombembe
|
BCom (UNITRA) B Compt Hons (UNISA); CA SA
|
Independent Non-Executive Director for Nedbank Group Limited, Sibanye Stillwater Limited, Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), and World Wide Fund (WWF) – South Africa; Sole Shareholder and Director of the Terence Nombembe Foundation (Pty) Ltd; Former Auditor-General of SA, and former Chairman of the Auditor-General Advisory Board; Former Chief Executive Officer of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2026
|
|
9.(2)
|
Secretary to the Council
|
Ms Carol Crosley
|
BA (Witwatersrand), H Dip.Ed (Witwatersrand), Honours
(Unisa), MEd (Witwatersrand) |
University Registrar
|
Ex-officio
|
|
5.(1)(a)(i)
|
Ministerial
Appointees |
Ms Nasima Badsha
|
M.Sc (Natal); Graduate Certificate in Education (Leeds); B.Sc. (Hons) (London)
|
Former Deputy Director General in the Department of Education; former CEO of Cape Higher Education Consortium
|
01 September 2018 – 30 December 2020 (Term extended to 31 December 2026)
|
|
As above
|
Ms Clare Nyama
|
BA Hons (Manchester Metropolitan University), Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (UNISA), Programme for Management Development certificate (GIBS), currently a registered Master of Business Leadership candidate at UNISA
|
Public Sector Cash Investments Head – FNB Business, Public Sector Banking
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2025
|
|
|
5.(1)(a)(ii)
|
Members appointed by and from among the Executive Committee of Convocation (*one of whom must be the President of Convocation)
|
Ms Nomfundo Ngcobo
|
LLB, Law (Wits),
PGDip, Advanced Company Law, (Wits), LLM, Commercial Law (Unisa), Development Economics (Stellenbosch), PGDip, Management (GIBS), MBA (GIBS). |
Trustee, Thandulwazi Maths and Science Academy-NPO,
Current: Non-Executive Board Member and Chair of Social Ethics and Remuneration Committee for NIH (Pty) Ltd, Eyesizwe Mining Pty Ltd; Member of Wits Convocation, Council and Naming Committee; Nominated onto the General Counsel Power List 2025 South Africa; Previous Non-Executive Director: John Deere Pty Ltd, Emerald Life Pty Ltd, Protea Hotels Pty Ltd, Platinum Hospitality Holdings Pty Ltd, Workers Life Insurance and Assurance Pty Ltd, PGC Pty Ltd |
Ex-Officio of Convocation
|
|
As above
|
Ms Kgomotso Mufamadi
|
BA (Political Studies and Law) (Wits), LLB (Wits), LLM (Wits), Social Entrepreneurship (GIBS)
|
Former Head of Industrial & Employee Relations at BMW Group South Africa; Current President of the Wits University Convocation; An attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a qualified Commissioner with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA); Chief Executive of Lotus Labour Consulting
|
Term ends 31 July 2027
|
|
|
5.(1)(a)(iii)
|
Premier’s Appointee
|
Associate Professor Mfanelo Ntsobi
|
PhD: Management of Technology and Innovation (Da Vinci Institute of Technology & Management), Master’s in Administration (UWC), Bachelor of Administration Honours, Bachelor of Military Science (Stellenbosch)
|
Chief Executive Officer of Sci-Bono Discovery Centre; Board Chairperson of the Gautrain Management Agency; Interim Board Chairperson of the Transport Authority of Gauteng; Chairs the Council of Ekurhuleni East TVET College
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2027
|
|
5.(1)(a)(iv)
|
Donor Electees
|
Mr James Teeger
|
BA: Commerce & Honours Accounting (Wits), Chartered Accountant (SA)
|
Chief Investment Officer of Stockdale Street Ltd. Joined E Oppenheimer & Son as Group Managing Director in May 2005. Former Non-Executive Director of De Beers. Previously worked at RMB, where he was a Management Board Member
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2027
|
|
As above
|
Professor Michael Katz
|
BCom (Wits) LLB (Wits) LLM (HLS) LLD (honoris causa) Witwatersrand)
|
Chairperson: ENSafrica; Member of the Board of Governors (HUJ), Member of the King Committee on Corporate Governance, trustee of numerous trusts such as the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund
|
1 November 2019 - 31 December 2026
|
|
|
5.(1)(a)(v)
|
Council Electees
|
Mr Isaac Shongwe
|
BA Hons (Economics & Politics) (Wesleyan, USA, P.Phil (Oxford)
|
Founder and Chairman of Letsema Holdings; Former CEO of Barloworld Logistics Africa; Former Barloworld Limited Board Member; Rhodes Scholarship recipient
|
1 June 2015 - 31 May 2017
1 June 2017 - 31 May 2019 - 31 December 2025 |
|
As above
|
Ms Lusanda Kgakololo
|
Bachelor of Science Honours, Bachelor of Science (Microbiology with Distinction)
|
Strategist; Project Lead for multidisciplinary consulting teams; CXO and Board Advisor
|
1 June 2021 - 31 Dec 2027
|
|
|
As above
|
Ms Tracey Rossini
|
BSc, Applied Maths, Information Technology (Wits), BA: Commerce, BCom: Quantitative Management & Industrial Psychology (UNISA), Systemic Team Coaching
|
Innovator; Turnaround Specialist; Business Growth Partner and Startup Creator as driver, executor, strategist, alchemist, and team coach
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2027
|
|
|
As above
|
Ms Hawa Bibi Khan
|
B. Accounting (UKZN), Hons. Commerce (UNISA), CA (KPMG), Private Equity and Alternative Investments, Property Dev (UCT), Cert. Fin Markets (UJ)
|
Entrepreneur; Ideator; Deal-maker; Transformative Disruptor; Value Creator; Coach
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2025
|
|
|
As above
|
Mr Arnold Basserabie
|
BSc (Maths, Math Stats) (Wits), ASSA (USA Society of Actuaries) and CFP (SA Financial Planning Institute)
|
Entrepreneur; Non-Executive Director of Kalon Venture Partners Ltd; Non-Executive Chairman of Afrika Tikkun, an NPC; Chairman of Caleo Collective group of companies; Chairman of the WITS Foundation Board of Governors; Non-Executive Director of the WITS Donald Gordon Medical Centre
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2025
|
|
|
As above
|
Mr Thinus Liebenberg
|
BCompt, BCompt Hons (UNISA), CA (SA)
|
FinCo Chair; Regional Director: CFO Center; Fractional CFO; M&A; Business Broker; Commercial Financing; CA (SA); Business Introducer
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2026
|
|
|
As above
|
Mr Terence Nombembe
|
BCom (UNITRA) B Compt Hons (UNISA); CA SA
|
Independent Non-Executive Director for Nedbank Group Limited, Sibanye Stillwater Limited, Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), and World Wide Fund – South Africa; Sole Shareholder and Director of the Terence Nombembe Foundation (Pty) Ltd; Former Auditor-General of SA, and former Chairman of the Auditor-General Advisory Board; Former Chief Executive Officer of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2026
|
|
|
5.(1)(a)(vi)
|
Business & Labour Nominee
|
Mr Gavin Hartford
|
Bachelor of Social Science Hons in Industrial Sociology
|
An Industrial sociologist and Labour Relations and Stakeholder Strategy Specialist
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2026
|
|
Internal Members
|
|||||
|
5.(1)(b)(i)
|
Vice-Chancellor and Principal
|
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi
|
BSc (Univ of Manchester), MSc (Wits), PhD (Wits)
|
Chair of Senate
|
Ex-Officio
|
|
5.(1)(b)(iii)
|
Vice-Chancellor’s Appointee (SET)
|
Professor Ruksana Osman
|
BA, HDipEd, BEd, MEd, PhD
|
Vice-Principal
|
Ex-Officio
|
|
5.(1)(b)(iv)
|
Senate Electees
|
Prof Mboyo-Di-Tamba Vangu
|
MD; Mmed; MSc; Cert exec MBA; PhD
|
Assistant Head of School: School of Clinical Medicine
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2025
|
|
As above
|
Professor Mfaniseni Fana Sihlongonyane
|
BA PGCE, MSc (DP), PhD (OXFORD)
|
Professor of Development Planning and Urban Studies
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2026
|
|
|
As above
|
Professor Uma Kollamparambil
|
PhD in Economics (Jawaharlal Nehru University), M Phil Applied Economics (Jawaharlal Nehru University), MA Development Economics (Calicut University), BA Economics (Calicut University)
|
Professor in School of Economics
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2025
|
|
|
As above
|
Professor Nosipho Moloto
|
BSc, BScHons, MSc, PhD (Wits)
|
SARChi Chair: School of Chemistry
|
01 January 2022 – 31 December 2026
|
|
|
5.(1)(b)(v)
|
Deans’ Electee
|
Professor Jason Cohen
|
BComHons, PhD (Wits)
|
Full Professor of Information Systems; Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (CLM)
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2027
|
|
5.(1)(b)(vi)
|
Academic Staff Electee
|
Professor Joel Quirk
|
BA, BAHons, PhD (Australian National), GDipIR
|
Professor in the Department of Political Studies
|
Term ends 31 Dec 2027
|
|
5.(1)(b)(vii)
|
Non-Academic Employee Electee
|
Mr Tumishi Madihlaba
|
Diploma, BA Politics and Management (Wits), PG Dip in Public Management (Wits); PG Certificate: Labour Dispute Resolution Practice (Wits)
|
ICT Contracts Manager; Chairs the Board of Trustees for the University of the Witwatersrand Retirement Fund (UWRF)
|
01 September 2017 - 31 August 2021 (Term extended to 31 December 2022) Re-elected – term ending 31 December 2025
|
|
5.(1)(b)(viii)
|
SRC Electee (SRC President)
|
Ms Nombulelo Chiya
|
Student
|
Student
|
Term ends 30 Sep 2025
|
|
5.(1)(b)(viii)
|
PGA Electee (PGA Chairperson)
|
Mr Mahloromela Silas Seabi
|
Student
|
Student
|
Term ends 28 Feb 2026
|