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The Institute for African Alternatives (IFAA) is pleased to announce that former Deputy President Mr Kgalema Motlanthe accepted election to the position of Chairperson of its Board at the annual general meeting on Friday 8 August 2014.

The other members of the Board elected at the meeting were:
Dr Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry
Prof Evance Kalula, Director, International Academic Programmes Office, UCT
Prof Chris Landsberg, Head of Politics, University of Johannesburg
Prof Daniel Plaatjies, Executive Director, HSRC
Dr Alistair Ruiters, former Director General, Department of Trade and Industry and now a mining Executive
Dr Simphiwe Sesanti, Associate Professor at the Department of Journalism, Media and Philosophy at the Nelson Mandela University
Ms Buyelwa Sonjika, former Minister of Mineral Resources
Prof Vivienne Taylor, Head of the Department of Social Development, UCT
Prof Ben Turok, Director, IFAA

IFAA was founded in 1986 as a Pan-African institution with headquarters in London and branches in Senegal, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Tanzania with members across the continent. South Africa joined subsequently. IFAA focussed on policy research and held numerous conferences and seminars across Africa. It collaborated with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and many other research institutes in Africa and Europe. It published many books and occasional publications, largely based on the conferences, seminars and lectures.
In 1991, IFAA established a centre in South Africa and in 2004 began publishing New Agenda, SA Journal of Social and Economic Policy as a quarterly directed at influential policy makers and leaders.

The Director, Prof Ben Turok represented IFAA and made presentations at Pan African conferences of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Development convened by the African Development Bank, U N Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union.

IFAA published six books for the ANC in Parliament and ran several courses in political economy for M P’s, administrators and researchers in association with UCT. This work may well continue.
The Institute recently acquired new premises in Plein Street, Cape Town where it will hold seminars and lectures. One of the main activities will be the production of New Agenda but with a higher profile.
IFAA will also continue with the intensive work on beneficiation and value addition in the interface between mining and manufacturing, an area where it has held two major conferences in association with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Industrial Development Corporation. The Engineering Council of S A has subsequently joined this grouping. IFAA will build on its network across Africa in promoting this work.
Since the new Board contains many specialists and much experience, it is expected to be even more effective in the coming period, especially given the status and huge experience of its new Chairperson.