SACPLAN Council Members

Date of Appointment to SACPLAN (Date Promulgated)
26 May 2017

SECTOR (SECTION 4 OF THE PPA)
Section 4 (1) (d) (Education)

Dr. James Chakwizira is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department: Urban and Regional Planning in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa. Prior to joining the University of Venda, James worked at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria initially as a Senior Researcher under the Rural Access and Development Research Group in the Rural Infrastructure and Services Competency Area and later as an Acting Research Group Leader in the Transport Systems and Operations Competency Area of the Built Environment Unit. James holds the following qualifications: PhD in Urban and Regional Planning (University of Venda); MPhil in Urban and Regional Planning (University of Zimbabwe); BSc (Hons) in Urban and Regional Planning (University of Zimbabwe); He also holds a post-graduate Diploma in Transport Planning and Management (Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport – United Kingdom) and post-graduate Diploma in Urban Planning (Erasmus University – Netherlands).

He is a registered professional planner with the South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN); a corporate member of the South African Planning Institute (SAPI), the current Chairperson of the Committee of Heads of Planning Schools (CHoPs) in South Africa. He is also a member of the National Transport Forum. Besides being a Council member and Deputy Chairperson of SACPLAN, he also serves as the Chairperson of the Registration Committee (RC) as well as being a member of the Education and Training Committee (ETC). James is an experienced spatial & transportation specialist who has consulted on national and regional projects in Africa, Asia and Europe. He has published, taught at universities in Southern Africa, practiced in both the public and private sector leading multidisciplinary teams and units focusing on regional transportation, spatial development, sustainable regional economic development, climate change and adaptation, regional integration, appropriate technology, poverty reduction and wealth creation and sustainable human settlements.

His passion is to continuously provide thought leadership in the application of new knowledge and technological innovations in order to resolve the challenges of the marginalised and disadvantaged communities and societies inhabiting the built and non-built environments of Africa.

Date of Appointment to SACPLAN (Date Promulgated)
26 May 2017

SECTOR (SECTION 4 OF THE PPA)
Section 4 (1) (a) (Dept of RD & LR)

Mr Andile Cekiso was born and completed both primary and secondary education in Middelburg Cape. Middelburg Cape is a service town located in the Great Karoo Region of the Eastern Cape Province. The town falls under the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality, in the Chris Hani District Municipality.

Mr Cekiso is currently working in the position of a Director: Spatial Planning and Land Use Management based in the Eastern Cape for the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) for the past +6 years.

He is, among others, responsible for providing spatial planning supporting the province and municipalities. He oversee the support for compilation of Land Use By-laws, Spatial Development Frameworks, land use schemes and other planning tools for development management in the province.

Mr Cekiso is also responsible for supporting and monitoring the implementation of SPLUMA in the Easter Cape Province, including the provision of training and capacity building. He oversees the spatial planning and analysis support to Land Redistribution, Land Restitution and Rural Development Programs of the Department (DRDLR) in the Eastern Cape Province.

Mr Cekiso matriculated at Ekuphumleni Secondary School, Middelburg Cape in 1996 and obtained a Bachelor of Technology Degree in Town and Regional Planning from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 2001. Mr Cekiso have not previously served on any board. He has been serving as a Chairperson of the EC Provincial SPLUMA Implementation Forum and served on various project . He worked as a Town Planner for Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality for more than 4 years. He went on to work for the Eastern Cape Province: Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs as a Deputy Chief Town and Regional Planner for about 2 years.

Before his current position, he worked as Deputy Director: Spatial Planning for the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform based in the Eastern Cape Province for more than 2 years. He has been serving the population of the Eastern Cape for a total of +15 years in the field of the Development Planning

Date of Appointment to SACPLAN (Date Promulgated)
26 May 2017

SECTOR (SECTION 4 OF THE PPA)
Section 4 (1) (b) (Provincial Government)

Natasha Murray is originally from Pacaltsdorp, George and now resides in Cape Town. She qualified with a Master’s degree in Town and Regional Planning (M.S&S) at the University of Stellenbosch.

On completing her studies, she started working at the Milnerton Municipality and went from Town Planner attending to Land Use Management and Spatial Planning to Senior Planner dealing with various big projects in the then Blaauwberg Municipality which then later formed part of the Metro. In 2007 she was appointed the Head of Planning for all Informal Settlements in the City of Cape Town’s Human Settlements Directorate where she dealt with matters of Emergency Housing (Floods & Fires) and predominantly UISP (Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme) & Reblocking. She successfully assisted with compiling a GIS Master Upgrading Plan for all Informal Settlements. In 2013 she was promoted to Manager: Service Delivery & Implementation dealing more with integration, strategic management, urbanisation and poverty alleviation. In 2014 she was fortunate to represent the City of Cape Town at the UN HABITAT WUF (World Urban Forum) in Medellin, Colombia.

After 11 years with the City of Cape Town she joined the Western Cape Government’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP) in 2015 where she is currently working as a Project Manager on a catalytic programme RSEP/VPUU (Regional Socio Economic Programme & Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading Programme) until 2019. It is a programme jointly funded by the Western Cape Government and KfW German Development Bank via their Federal German Ministry and our National Treasury.

Recently she was also appointed as a Chief Town and Regional Planner for the Development Planning, Intelligence Management and Research directorate focussing on policy shifts required within our new planning paradigm.

She was nominated and recently elected as council member of the South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN).

In her spare time she loves a good round of golf.

Date of Appointment to SACPLAN (Date Promulgated)
26 May 2017

SECTOR (SECTION 4 OF THE PPA)
Section 4 (1) (d) (Education)

Prof Hope Hangwelani Magidimisha holds a PhD in Town and Regional Planning from University of KwaZulu-Natal. Prof Magidimisha made history when she became first black South African born woman to be awarded PhD in Town and Regional Planning by the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is a senior lecturer and programme coordinator for planning discipline at UKZN. Before joining the university, she worked in various portfolios as a practitioner in town planning, a researcher and now as an academic. Her strong passion in academia already saw her supervising a number of Master and PhD students.

Prof Magidimisha’s publication record spans the authoring and co-authoring a number of book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. She also co-authored a book entitled The Other Side of Freedom published by HSRC. Her most recent book publication due to be published in August 2017 entitled Crisis, Identity and Migration in Post-Colonial Southern Africa. During her tenure at the Human Sciences Research Council, she was involved in a number of projects including South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS), State-Owned Entities (SOEs) for the Presidency of South Africa and City Support Programme (CSP) for Eight Metros in South Africa on issues of community engagement among others.

Prof Magidimisha currently serves on various professional and advisory bodies related to her areas of expertise including South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN) and Kwazulu-Natal Planning and Development Appeal Tribunal.

Date of Appointment to SACPLAN (Date Promulgated)
26 May 2017

SECTOR (SECTION 4 OF THE PPA)
Section 4 (1) (d) (Education)

Verna Nel grew up in Johannesburg and qualified with a Bachelor’s Degree in Town and Regional Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand. She later completed a master’s degree (with distinction) and a doctorate through Unisa.

On completing her bachelor’s degree, she was employed at the Johannesburg Municipality, and later worked for a private firm and then a state department, being involved in a range of tasks including structure plans and layouts for new developments. In 1987 she was appointed to the Verwoerdburg Town Council. As a senior town planner she undertook the entire ambit of town planning work including spatial development planning at all scales, urban design, land use applications and spatial policy formulation. She was also responsible for the outdoor advertising policy, informal trading policy and economic development portfolio of the local authority.

In 1998 Verna Nel was appointed as Chief Town Planner in Centurion Town Council.

With the creation of the City of Tshwane she was requested to co-ordinate the local economic development function and later the city planning function. She acted as head of City Planning from July 2001 until August 2008.

In 2008 she received the City of Tshwane’s Top Achiever’s Award for her leadership and management abilities.

She left the employ of the City of Tshwane and joined the University of the Free State in February 2009. She is currently a Professor in the Urban and Regional Planning Department at the University of the Free State. Here she has taught various subjects, supervised over 50 Master’s and Doctoral students to completion of their dissertations. She has published in international journals, contributed to academic books and presented numerous conference papers. Her primary research interests are land use management in a South African context, developmental local government and resilience as applied within urban and regional planning.

She is married with 2 children and a grandchild. Her hobbies include reading and bird watching.

Date of Appointment to SACPLAN (Date Promulgated)
26 May 2017

SECTOR (SECTION 4 OF THE PPA)
Section 4 (1) (e) (Communities)

Ms Nellie Lester is an Independent Development Consultant. She was Deputy Director General, at the Department of Cooperative Governance formerly Department of Provincial and Local Government (dplg) from July 2007 to February 2012. She has previously served as General Manager at Housing Development Agency and DBSA Infrastructure Planning and Delivery Division. Nellie also served on the board of South African Cities Network and Housing Development Agency at the nomination of the Minister. She was the Executive Director at Planact from July 2002 to March 2006 and has experience in intergovernmental relations.

She holds a master’s degree in urban and rural planning from Dalhousie University, Canada. In 1995 she joined the University of Cape Town as a senior lecturer at the School of Architecture and Planning. From 1997-1999 she was employed as senior planner at the City of Cape Town, Planning and Economic Department. She is a member of South Africa Planners Institute (SAPI).

During her time at Planact she initiated the documentation of the organisations history in support of the civil society urban agenda. This initiative resulted in a book publication titled “Making Cities Work for the Poor” the Plan Act Way. Her interests remain in inclusive spatial development and positive transformation of deprived communities in both urban and rural areas. The “Township Transformation Timeline” study is one of the notable projects she coordinated while heading the Urban Renewal Programme pilot at the Department of Cooperative Governance.

In 2010, she facilitated the conceptualisation and coordinated the “Cities Month” exhibition for the South African pavilion at the Shanghai World Urban Expo under the theme ‘Better City Better Life”. The South African Pavilion recorded the million mark visitor numbers during the Cities month in June. The reflections on SA Cities month at Shanghai World Expo2010 have been published as a record for future reference.

Nellie worked in advisory capacity to the South African Cities Network on secondment from COGTA. She was instrumental in the finalization of the State of South African Cities Report 2011 titled “Towards Resilient Cities”. International activities include presentations at OECD conference in Cologne, Germany, World Bank workshop in Involuntary Resettlement, Brasilia. She was a Board member of the Habitat International Coalition and represented the organisation in World Urban Forum in Barcelona, Spain in 2004 and Vancouver, Canada in 2006.

Date of Appointment to SACPLAN (Date Promulgated)
26 May 2017

SECTOR (SECTION 4 OF THE PPA)
Section 4 (1) (e) (Community)

Mr Puvendra Akkiah is a Professional Town and Regional Planner with more than 15 years of experience in Southern, Central Africa and Western Africa. He is a Specialist in the preparation, implementation and management of Strategic Planning / development. He is currently employed at the eThekwini Municipality as a Senior Manager Programs – Integrated Development Planning. Mr Akkiah is a member of the KZN Regional Executive Committee of the South African Planning Institute, and the National Board Member of the ISOCARP. He is the Technical Chairperson of the Urban Strategic Planning Committee of the United Cities and Local Governments. Mr Akkiah has co-authored and edited numerous international publications related to urban and spatial planning for the UCLG. He is a skilled facilitator working across all spheres of government and at a global level. He actively supported the Global Taskforce for Local Governments in the lead up to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda.

Mr Akkiah was the Recipient of the 2014 SAPI National Award for Outstanding Planner in the Professional Planner Category. He was then also the Recipient of the 2016 Annual Ammen Award for Promotion of Culture and Religion.

Date of Appointment to SACPLAN (Date Promulgated)
26 May 2017

SECTOR (SECTION 4 OF THE PPA)
Section 4 (1) (e) (Community)

Mr Tshepo Albia Monakedi is a Chevening Alumni and recently completed his MA Governance and Development degree with the Institute of Development Studies which is based at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. He holds three degrees from the University of Witwatersrand, MSc Development Planning, BSc with Honours Urban and Regional Planning and BSc Urban and Regional Planning. He is currently employed by the Limpopo Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs as a Professional Town Planner. He has also served the same department as a Deputy Manager: Integrated Development Planning. Since joining the department in July 2012, Mr Monakedi has served on a number of development planning projects including the Limpopo Development Plan; Limpopo District Rural Development Plans; Spatial Economic Zones to mention a few. His areas of interest include, Spatial Planning, Community Development, Strategic Planning, Local Government, Governance and Public Administration.

Date of Appointment to SACPLAN (Date Promulgated)
26 May 2017

SECTOR (SECTION 4 OF THE PPA)
Section 4 (1) (f) (Private Practice)

Dr Yandisa Bavulele Mashalaba, the founder of YB Mashalaba (Pty) Ltd, was born in Ngcele village – Tsolo, in the former Transkei. YB, as he is known in professional circles, sat for his junior certificate external exams in 1993 at a village school called Ngxaza Junior Secondary School. After completing what he likes to call his ‘JC’ in 1993, he moved to Mthatha in 1994 where he completed his senior secondary school studies at St. John’s College in 1996.

After Matric, he joined the then called University of the Orange Free State, for his tertiary studies. At the University of Free State, as it is known these days, he completed a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning by the age of 22. In 2003 he started working for the provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal as an environmental officer. He then moved to the Free State to take a position of Assistant Town Planner and later Town Planner with the provincial government of the Free State. After a short career as a government town planner, he then pursued what was then called Project 2009, which later developed to be the company now called YB Mashalaba Propriety Limited.

Whilst pursuing his doctoral studies, Dr Mashalaba also lectured at the University of Free State, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, from 2009 to 2013. During this stint in academia, his main focus was environmental planning and spatial planning. His research on public open space planning and development in previously neglected townships was completed and submitted in 2012. He currently holds a position of a ‘Research Fellow’ at the University of Free State, Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

Professionally, Dr Mashalaba has experience in Integrated Environmental Management; Strategic Spatial Planning, Physical Planning, and Project management and he holds the following academic qualifications:

• PhD in Urban and Regional Planning, University of Free State
• Master of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Free State
• Bachelor of Science, University of Free State
• Certificate in Environmental management (University of Cape Town)
• Certificate in Research Traditions in Social Science: South Africa Netherlands Partnership on Development Alternatives (SANPAD)

Dr Mashalaba is registered with the South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN) as a Professional Planner (A/1310/2005), and he is also a member of the following professional bodies:

• South African Planners Institute
• International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP).
• International Association for Impact Assessment South Africa 5025
• Even though he travels countrywide for YB Mashalaba (Pty) Ltd, Dr Mashalaba currently lives in Bloemfontein.

Date of Appointment to SACPLAN (Date Promulgated)
26 May 2017

SECTOR (SECTION 4 OF THE PPA)
Section 4 (1) (f) (Private Practice)

Peter Dacomb was born in Pretoria in 1959 and matriculated in Warmbaths (now Bela-Bela) in 1977. He attended the University of Pretoria and achieved a BSC in Town and Regional Planning (then part of the Faculty of Engineering) in 1981. He started his career at the then Transvaal Provincial Administration (Department of Local Government) in Pretoria and moved to private practice in 1985. He became a partner in the firm Pheiffer Marais Incorporated (Urban Designers, Architects and Town Planners) in Randburg.

In 1989 Peter joined his current partner, Conrad Wiehahn in a new firm in Pretoria, later renamed The Practice Group where he remains as one of the senior partners at present. Peter has served on various versions of the SACPLAN Council of the regulating body of the Planning Profession (both in terms of the previous 1984 legislation and as part of the more recent SACPLAN dispensation). In the previous dispensation Peter served a term as the Vice-President of the then South African Council for Town and Regional Planners and currently serves as the National Chairperson of the SA Association of Consulting Professional Planners, a voluntary association recognised under the SACPLAN legislation.

Apart from his town planning degree, Peter also holds further qualifications in Property Development and Management and Integrated Environmental Management from the then Technicon RSA and the University of Cape Town respectively. He was a co-author of the Gauteng Planning and Development Act, 2003, the more recent Gauteng Planning and Development Bill, 2010 and an early version of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, 2013 (SPLUMA), as a member of a technical team appointed by the Presidency. Peter lives in Waverley Pretoria and is married to Lida, an affair which started at school in Bela-Bela. The Dacombs have 3 children, two sons and a daughter.

Date of Appointment to SACPLAN (Date Promulgated)
18 December 2019

SECTOR (SECTION 4 OF THE PPA)
Section 4 (1) (f) (Private Practice)

Mrs Manako Matemane is a private Consultant and Professional Town and Regional Planner with 30 years’ experience. She grew up in Soweto and holds a BSc (Town & Regional Planning) from Wits University. Over the 30 years, she has gained a wealth of experience in Spatial Planning and Land Use Management in both the private and public sector.

Her private sector experience started in 1990 where she held several positions including Assistant Town Planner, Town Planner and later Company associate in the various companies including Pintoroux, Plan- it, Matingi & Associates.

Her public sector career started in 1996 as a Town Planner, then Principal Planner at Johannesburg Metro after which she joined the Boksburg TLC in 1998 as Senior Town Planner. She later played an important role in the transformation of Ekurhuleni Metro firstly as Chairperson and Team Leader of the Land Use Task Team, the interim body established to facilitate the transformation of the Development Planning function and formation of the first Land Use Management division of Ekurhuleni Metro. She later in 2003 became the Director of Land Use Management, tasked with managing the land use management function of the whole Metro which included the units of Land Surveying, Law Enforcement, Policy making and processing of development applications. The job also entailed the provision of technical and administrative support to the decision making bodies’ viz. Tribunal, Portfolio Committee and delegated items. She facilitated the establishment of the first metro wide Law Enforcement Unit and the first Metro wide Development Tribunal. Her role in the transformation of the Land Use Management function during the establishment of Ekurhuleni Metro earned her an award: “Women Achievers Award for outstanding contribution to the Metro’s transformation process”, in 2003.

In 2009, she joined the Development Bank of Southern Africa as a Project Manager as part of the “Senza Manje” program which was later transferred to COGTA under the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA). As a Project Manager and later as Technical Consultant at MISA, she was part of the North West multidisciplinary team comprising a wide range of engineering experts and Development Planners. Her main role was to provide technical support, advice and capacity building in order to enhance service delivery at the municipalities identified as in need of intervention.

Throughout her tenure as a Technical Consultant at the national sphere of government, she supported various municipalities in the North West Province. In partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) & the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, she participated in the introduction & implementation of SPLUMA in the NW municipalities thereby bringing positive changes to the MISA supported municipalities. The activities include the establishment of planning units where none existed, putting in place application processing systems, development of system of delegations and tariff, established SPLUMA based Municipal Planning Tribunals; developed SPLUMA based Land Use Schemes, By Laws and Spatial Development Frameworks.

Manako is currently a Chief Executive Officer (COE) at Mokgope Consulting cc, a private consulting company specializing in Town & Regional Planning and Environmental Management. As Managing Director of Mokgope Consulting cc, she has worked various projects that include EIA’s on electrical substations and powerlines; Basic assessments, water use licenses, Environmental Control Officer (ECO) work, social impact assessments, relocation action plans, feasibility studies, Special Economic Zone and development applications.

Manako is a registered Professional Planner with SACPLAN and is a member of SAPI and has recently been nominated and appointed as a member to the Council of SACPLAN. She loves reading and travelling to the countryside with family.