Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) appoints new Council

On 23 October 2024, the Academy of Science of South Africa appointed new leadership in its endeavour to promote and apply scientific thinking in the service of society. ASSAf, in its unique position as the only national science academy that is officially recognised by the South African government, aims to provide evidence-based scientific advice on issues of public interest to government and other stakeholders. 

The Academy is governed by a Council comprising 13 members. Twelve are elected from the membership and one is appointed by the Minister as representative of the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI). The Academy has five office-bearers: the President, two Vice-Presidents, General Secretary and Treasurer.

The new Council is led Prof Thokozani Majozi Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment and a Professor in the School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand.

He will be supported by two Vice-Presidents, Prof Roseanne Diab, Emeritus Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa and  Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching at Stellenbosch University (SU).

Prof Christian Pirk, Professor and heads the Social Insects Research Group in the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the University of Pretoria (UP) was elected as General Secretary and Prof Julian May, Director of the NRF-DST Centre of Excellence in Food Security at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) as Treasurer.

Other members of the Council are:

    • Prof Nithaya Chetty, Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits)
    • Prof Loretta Feris, Vice-Principal: Academic and Professor of Law at the University of Pretoria (UP)
    • Profs Irvy (Igle) Gledhill, Visiting Adjunct Professor of Flow Physics, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)
    • Prof Murray Leibbrandt, UCT Research Chair in Poverty and Inequality Research within SALDRU at the University of Cape Town (UCT)
    • Prof Janice Limson, Professor of Biotechnology at Rhodes University (RU)
    • Prof Shireen Motala, DST/NRF South African Research Chair in Teaching and Learning (PSET), University of Johannesburg (UJ)         
    • Prof Linda Richter, Distinguished Professor in the Centre of Excellence in Human Development at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) 

ASSAf would like to thank the Council members whose terms have come to an end. They have given unstintingly of their time and expertise.