Alumni in the spotlight May 2023

1 June 2023 - Wits Alumni Relations

Catch up on a wrap of Witsie awards, appointments and newsmakers from the past month.

Awards

Two Witsies Dr Aboubaker “Bucker” Dangor (BSc Hon 1971, DSc 2005) and Dr Vhahangwele Masindi (MSc 2022) were awarded the Order of Mapungubwe (Bronze) by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Dr Dangor was acknowledged for his "admirable and distinguished contribution to the field of science through his ground-breaking research in physics", while Dr Masindi was praised for his contribution to finding solutions for water scarcity in environmental science.

Dr Frank Crundwell (BSc Eng 1983, MSc Eng 1986, PhD 1988, BSc Hons 2001) was among the 18 new international members appointed to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.

Wits-trained accountant and olive oil farmer Robert “Rob” Still (BCom 1978, CTA 1980) won first place at the eighth edition of the prestigious 2023 International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality Awards (EVOOLEUM). De Rustica Olive Estates, which Still founded in 2006, received the accolade for its Coratina oil, beating 999 other entrants to be named the “EVOOLEUM Overall Best”.

Wits alumna Senzeni Marasela (BA FA 1999) was named the recipient of the first K21 Global Art Award presented by The Friends of K20K21, in co-operation with the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen gallery. The Award recognises the vision and courage of artists at the beginning or in the middle of their careers and will in the future be awarded annually to internationally recognised artists under the age of 45. Marasela’s work will be showcased in the gallery’s art collection in two rooms for a year.

Professor Elizabeth Mayne (MBBCh 2002, MMed 2009, PhD 2022), a specialist haematologist and immunopathologist presented her inaugural lecture at the University of Cape Town titled “Racing the red queen”, which highlighted key aspects in immunology in South Africa over the past 10 years. She has published extensively on HIV-associated cardiovascular disease, specifically endothelial dysfunction as an innate immune function. 

Lungo Katete (BAS 2019, BAS Hon 2022) was announced as a finalist in the 2023 Miss South Africa pageant. 

A few alumni were selected as finalists in multiple categories for the prestigious 2022/2023 NSTF-South32 Awards: Professor Nosipho Moloto (PhD 2011), Dr Kimberley Chapelle (BSc 2013, BSc Hons 2014, MSc 2016, PhD 2019), Professor Craig Sheridan (BSc Eng 2000, PhD 2013), Dr Charl Verwey (MMed 2015, PhD 2022). This year’s winners will be announced at an awards ceremony taking place on 13 July 2023, under the banner: “Ocean sciences for sustainable development” in response to the United Nations’ decade-long theme, Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Taskeen Hasrod (BSc 2022, BSc Hons 2023) won the Wits leg of FameLab, an international science communication competition that seeks to inspire young scientists to share their research. Kate da Silva (BSc 2017, MSc Med 2021) and Sameera Khatib (BPharm 2022) took second and third place respectively.

Emma Skudder (BAS 2021, BAS Hons 2023), Priyan Moodley (BAS 2021, BAS Hons 2023) and Michael Peneda (BAS 2021, BAS Hons 2023) walked away with first prize in a national architecture competition titled “Political Animals”, as part of the South African Pavillion at the Biennale Architettura 2023.

Appointments

Trisha Singh (BCom 2010) was named as African Bank’s new company secretary from 3 August 2023.

Lydia “Skillz” Monyepao (BCom 2001) was appointed as new CEO of South African Football Association. The former Banyana Banyana player, who until recently was the chief operating officer, is the first woman boss of SA football. She represented South Africa at the 2002 and the 2004 Women’s AFCON and the 2003 All Africa Games. At club level, Monyepao played for Wits Ladies FC, Soshanguve All Stars and Soweto Ladies. 

Jose Martins (BCom 1985, BAcc 1985) was appointed non-executive director to join the board of Atlas, an Australian listed pearling business. 

Neha Dhana (LLB 2013) was appointed as director, dispute resolution practice at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr.

International mining executive Shaun Usmar (BSc Eng 1991), current director of Triple Flag Precious Metals Corp, was appointed to the board of directors of Alamos Gold Inc. He has 30 years of experience working around the globe in some of the world's largest and fastest growing mining companies: He served as senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Barrick Gold Corporation, held numerous roles at Xstrata, and worked in corporate finance for BHP Billiton in London. He serves as Chair of Make- A-Wish Canada and chairs the Audit Committee of the World Gold Council. 

Gary Methven (BSc Eng 1993) was appointed as vice-president: technical services at Canadian exploration and development company MAG Silver. He is a seasoned mining professional who has over three decades of experience in the mining industry. His expertise includes underground mining of precious metals, long-term mine planning, project management and consulting. 

Professor Richard Ambrosi (BSc 1994, BSc Hons 1996, PhD 2001) was appointed to the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) board. USRA is a non-profit association of 117 universities chartered to advance space science and technology. Professor Ambrosi is currently the executive director of Space Park Leicester and over the past 12 years has been pioneering the development and testing of the world's first space nuclear power systems designed to exploit waste heat from the radioisotope Americium-241, a by-product of the UK's civil nuclear industry.

Prospect South Africa (SA) announced that Sikhanyiso ‘Ziggy’ Mdlalose (PDip BM 2018) has been promoted to business unit director on the MultiChoice account effective from June 2023. Previously Head of Digital of iProspect SA, Sikhanyiso has over 11 years’ experience across both the media owner, marketing and advertising industry. 

SAP Africa announced the appointment James Wilson (BA 1996) as its new head of communications for the sub-Saharan Africa region. He was previously employed at global tech and health PR firm WE Communications, where he served as the managing director of the South Africa market unit before assuming a regional business development role that spanned the EMEA region.

Linda Vilakazi (BPrimEd 1992) was appointed to the board of directors of Good Governance Africa, a non-profit company. She has served as a member of Wits Executive Committee of Convocation, member of the Wits Council, and member of the Maths Centre board. Linda is a non-executive director of Thebe Foundation, Alex Education Council, Sacred Heart College, CEPD, chair of African Bank Trust, and has served in various Ministerial Task Teams in the last two decades.

Newsmakers

Tracey Rose (BA FA 1997), a radical voice in the international art world since the mid-90s, was featured in the New York Times, ahead of her major retrospective exhibition “Tracey Rose: Shooting Down Babylon” which was initially conceived by Zeitz MOCCA and currently at Queens Museum, in New York.

Dr Sechaba Maape (BAS 2009, BAS Hons 2011, MArch Prof 2012, PhD 2016), director of the design practice Afreetekure and senior lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning, is co-curator of the South African Pavillion at the Biennale Architettura 2023, chatted to WantedOnline about the exhibition and his practice that envisions decolonising architectural theory and practice.

Greg Maslov (BCom 2001, BAcc 2002) co-CEO of Sapro, a global leader in assurance, tax, and advisory services, chatted to Financial Mail. Sapro has over 400 professionals in the field and employs a support team of nearly 100 people and is described the “AirB&B for the CA industry”.

David Lewis (BCom 1971) former trade unionist, academic, policymaker and co-founder of Corruption Watch wrote that for the poor, the state of the government is a significiantly worse than merely annoying in Business Day.

Lea Bomvana (PDipBusAdmin 2019, MBA 2022) shared how a brain tumour almost killed her.

Dr Sthembiso Madlala (MBBCh 2022), a resident doctor working in three hospitals around Pietermaritzburg, shared his journey about growing up in rural KwaZulu-Natal and the many obstacles he had to overcome to graduate from Wits, on a full scholarship. He shared how his faith sustains him.

Professor Craig Sheridan, (BSc Eng 2000, PhD 2013) the Claude Leon Foundation Chair in Water Research and the director of the Centre in Water Research and Development at the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies at Wits, spoke to the M&G about the recent cholera outbreak in South Africa: “It doesn’t really matter where we are anymore, this is impacting us all equally … whether you’re a  poor person in Hammanskraal or a really rich person in Sandton.”