Research organisation the National Research Foundation (NRF) last month announced that the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande had appointed new members to the NRF board. The members will serve until November 2026, pursuant to Section 6 of the NRF Act. These appointments were made to fill vacancies on the board.

The three new board members are the Council for Science and Industrial Research’s (CSIR’s) Dr Mathetha Mokonyama, human resources and management professional Mavuso Shabalala and chemicals manufacturing company Kevali Chemicals’ Funeka Khumalo.

Khumalo is a chemical engineer by trade and holds a BSc degree in chemical engineering and an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science.

Further, Khumalo is a certified project management professional and currently serves as the executive director of chemical manufacturing company Kevali Chemicals, a provider of customised solutions within the chemicals industry focused on hygiene and sanitation, water treatment and adhesives.

Kevali operates in sectors such as brewing and wineries, dairy, food processing, fresh produce and meat, among others. Khumalo serves on the NRF board as the appointee of the National Advisory Council on Innovation, which is responsible for advising the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation on the role and contribution of science, mathematics, innovation and technology, including indigenous technologies, in the promotion and achievement of national objectives.

Mokonyama, meanwhile, leads the transport systems and operations impact area at the CSIR. He holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand, as well as Master’s and PhD degrees in Transportation Engineering from the University of Pretoria. He previously worked for the City of Johannesburg and as a private civil engineering consultant in the areas of transport planning, transport modelling, traffic engineering, and development engineering. He has published peer-reviewed technical papers, as well as book chapters on topics related to transport operations and modelling.

He has also consulted on the topics of transport planning and operations for all spheres of government in South Africa and for international clients, such as the International Association of Public Transport. His research interests include the modeling of the dynamic needs of public transport customers and the specification of their needs in public transport service contracts and service design. He is a registered professional engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa.

Finally, Shabalala holds a Master’s in Business Leadership and a Global Remuneration Professional Certification, with broad experience in human resources and organisational design and development. He has over 22 years of operational and strategic level experience obtained mainly in the financial services, international nongovernment and public sectors. He has served for more than 15 years on various boards.

The NRF board is a governing body and accounting authority in terms of the Public Finance Management Act. The role of the board is to lead the organisation through the discharge of its responsibilities in relation to strategic direction, policy approval, oversight and accountability such that the good governance outcomes of an ethical culture, good performance, effective control and legitimacy with stakeholders are achieved by the organisation.

The foundation maintains that the new board members bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise from various areas such as engineering and technical procurement, human resources and people management, and the business sector. The board is pleased with their appointments and looks forward to their further strengthening its capabilities.

“I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate our Minister [. . .] Nzimande on his appointment and thank him for the appointment of our three new board members. They bring with them the right set of expertise to strengthen our current board and will render it more capable to carry out its fiduciary duties,” NRF board chairperson Mosa Moshabela said at the time.

“I am delighted to welcome the three additional board members to the NRF family [. . .] with their addition, we now have a full complement of the NRF board. The extensive experience, collective expertise, and insights of the board are highly esteemed, and we look forward to working with them, as the board continues to provide guidance and strategic oversight. The common vision of all members, and our shared commitment to transformation, excellence, innovation, impact, and sustainability, will be instrumental in driving our success, while we navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead. We anticipate an exciting and fruitful journey towards making a significant impact,” NRF CEO Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo concluded.