In Memorium
It is with sincere condolences to their family and friends that we record the passing of two ASSAf Members: Profs Robert (Bob) Scholes and Vishnu Padayachee who passed away on 28 April 2021 and 29 May 2021, respectively.

Prof Scholes was one of South Africa’s top climate change experts and an internationally recognised scientist. He was a strong supporter of the Academy and actively participated in its activities. An A-rated scientist and Professor of Systems Ecology at Wits, Prof Scholes served as the Director of the Global Change Institute (GCI). He was among the top one per cent of environmental scientists worldwide, based on citation frequency, and published widely in the fields of savanna ecology, global change, and earth observation. His students describe him as a ‘giant savanna tree providing shade in the heat, shelter in the rain, and a point of reference to navigate by’.

Prof Padayachee was Distinguished Professor and Derek Schrier and Cecily Cameron Chair in Development Economics, in the School of Economic and Business Sciences also at Wits. Elected to ASSAf in 2017, he was world renowned for his research in economics, economic history, economic transformation, and development, having written around 10 books and monographs. He is remembered for his leading role in the Macro-Economic Research Group (Merg) that developed Keynesian proposals for the ANC for a post-apartheid South Africa. According to Wits, he was a sought-after supervisor and served as a mentor to many postgraduate students. He was currently working with postgraduate students on research related to economic policy debates, macroeconomic and monetary policy issues in post-apartheid South Africa, democratic politics and economic policymaking in South Africa, and business, corporations and society in the Global South in the 21st Century.