19 November 1999
The Minister of Environment Affairs and Tourism Mohammed Valli Moosa today announced that Cabinet has approved the new board for the South African National Botanical Institute (NBI).
Minister Moosa said he was confident that the new board had the appropriate balance of horticulture, research, financial, education, managerial and scientific expertise to contribute meaningfully to the running of the country’s botanic gardens.
He praised the management of the NBI for the high quality of their work which has made South Africa a world-leader in botanical research and their flagship garden, Kirstenbosch in Cape Town, on of the seven leading botanic gardens in the world. There are eight gardens under the NBI (Kirstenbosch, Herold Porter at Bettys Bay, Karoo National Botanical Gardens near Worcester, Lowveld National Botanical Gardens near Nelspruit, Natal Botanical Gardens in Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria National Botanical Gardens, Free State National Botanical Gardens in Bloemfontein and the Witwatersrand Botanical Gardens near Roodepoort).
The 15-person board’s term of office is to 31 August 2001.
1. Dr Nombasa Tsengwa (Chairperson) Botanist
Qualification: BSc, BSc (Hons), MSc (Botany), Phd
Expertise/involvement: Manager of Biotechnology, Innovation and futures, CSIR former lecturer and advisor to DACST, member of advisory boards and professional associations, published scientific papers and articles.
2. Prof Colin Johnson (Vice-Chairperson) Botanist
Qualification: BSc, BSc (Hons), MSc, DSc
Expertise/involvement: CEO: ARC, Chairperson NBI, past lecturer, dean and Vice Rector of the University of the Western Cape, member of the Water Research Commission, member of other scientific bodies and committees, author of papers and articles.
3. Prof Himansu Baijnath Botanist / Traditional medicine
Qualification: BSc, BSc (Hons), MSc, Phd
Expertise/involvement: Curator and Associate Professor, Botany University of Durban Westville, current member of the NBI, member of several botanical bodies and international bodies author of several papers on botanical matters, presented papers at several national and international conferences and seminars. Received several academic grants and awards.
4. Mr. Saliem Fakir Environmental policy
Qualification: BSc, BSc (Hons)
Expertise/involvement: Country programme coordinator for IUCN, member of the NBI, gave inputs into several government policy documents, consultant on biodiversity projects, community involvement, member of several government committees on environmental matters, author popular articles and scientific papers.
5. Prof Jan Glazewski Environmental policy
Qualification: BCom, LLB, LLM, MA
Expertise/involvement: Associate professor in the Institute of Marine Law; coordinator of the Environmental Law Unit of the University of Cape Town, lecturer, author of publications and articles on legal matters and environmental law, presented papers at national and international symposia and for a, consultant on environmental legislation and policy.
6. Prof Jenny Jay Marketing and Tourism
Qualification: BSc, BSc (Hons), Phd
Expertise/involvement: Marketing manager, Serina Kaolin (Pty) Ltd, former marketing manager for NBI, involved in the hospitality industry.
7. Dr Charles Lepepeule Machete Education
Qualification: BSc, BSc (Hons), MSc (Agriculture), MSc(Agriculture Economics), D Phil
Expertise/involvement: Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of the North, recipient of numerous fellowship awards, lecturer and researcher in agriculture and Agriculture Economics, member of professional organisations and local and international advisory and scientific boards, author of scientific papers.
8. Mr. Jerry Matsika Mariba Community
Qualification: Senior Certificate
Expertise/involvement: Community worker in Youth projects, member of SANGOCO.
9. Adv Abri Meiring S A Botanical Society
Qualification: BA, LLB
Expertise/involvement: Advocate of the Supreme Court, member of ILPA, member of committees and bodies specializing in taxation and fiscal matters, member of the NBI, member of the Botanical Society of SA.
10. Dr Prins Nevhutalu Human resources
Qualification: BSc, BSc (Hons), MSc , and Phd & Management courses
Expertise/involvement: Executive Director: Corrective Action National Research Foundation, awarded several research fellowships and awards, former lecturer and researcher, member of professional institute (local and international), members of boards, author of scientific papers.
11. Ms Jean Maureen Ngubane Community
Qualification: BA (Psychology and Sociology), Diploma in Applied Social Sciences
Expertise/involvement: Director of companies, community worker, board member of NGO’s and member of and former convenor of Women’s National Coalition.
12. Ms Mashudu Angelinah Phaliso Financial and business
Qualification: Booking, BSc (Hons), MSc (Botany), PhD
Expertise/involvement: Employed by ABSA Bank Communications, as consultant: Community Development, banking, board member of the WRC, community worker and involved in civic associations.
13. Ms Bridget Rebone Hologelo Segoale Environmental policy
Qualification: BA
Expertise/involvement: UNDP, Environmental manager, Pretoria City Council, GIS experience.
14. Dr Reeza Wagiet Education
Qualification: BSc, BSC (Hons)(Zoology), Phil, and PhD
Expertise/involvement: Manager: Community based conservation and Environmental Educational projects for WWF SA, community worker, member of professional bodies, author of articles and resource material on environmental education, presented papers at workshops and conferences, past teacher and lecturer in Biology and Environmental Education, past assistant – director of education of the NBI.
15. Prof Werner Zybrands Legal and Human Resources
Qualification: BA, LLB, Public Administration
Expertise/involvement: Advocate of the High Court of SA, member of the NBI, local authority consultant expert, member of professional institutes, worked in local government structures, member of councils and boards, presented papers with regard local government at various conferences and seminars part time lecturer and director of local government and the private sector, member of the Advisory Committee of the Witwatersrand Botanical Garden.
Issued by Didi Moyle: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism 19/11/1999