Short Biography of Dr Inga Jacobs-Mata Inga is the research group leader of the integrated water solutions group within the CSIR’s Water competence area. She is a political scientist and has a PhD in International Relations from St-Andrews University, Scotland. She specialises in water governance with 12 years of research and research management experience in transboundary water governance (particularly cooperative governance in Africa), science communication, and research impact and uptake. Inga was previously the Executive Manager: Business Development, Marketing and Communications at the Water Research Commission. Inga will soon be leaving the CSIR and joining the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) as the Southern Africa Country Representative. Inga has an eleven-year long track record in volunteerism in the South African, African and global water sectors having being “raised” in the WISA Southern African Young Water Professionals and IWA Young Water Professionals networks. She has also held several leadership positions in these organisations having served on the WISA Board of Directors between 2012 and 2014, and on the IWA Board from 2010 – 2012. Despite taking a brief hiatus to raise her two children (Gabriella – 3 years and Zachary – 1 year), she has recently become very active again in water professional associations, currently serving as the Vice-Chairperson for the IWA’s Watershed and River Basin Management Specialist Group, as an IWA Fellow and also a member of the IWA Fellows Steering Committee. On the home front, she is one of the crazy few Local Organising Committee members of the next WISA Biennial Conference in 2020. She therefore brings a huge amount of local and global leadership experience to the WISA board, and specifically board experience. Given her experience in stakeholder engagement, marketing and communications and international partnership management, she will ensure strong and strategic linkages with global and African institutions. Having been in a management position at the CSIR and the WRC, she also brings to the table sound knowledge of institutional integrity. National and International affiliations:

WISA Biennial Conference 2020: Local Organising Committee Member

IWA Fellow Steering Committee: 2017 - present

IWA Fellow: 2016 - present

Member of the management team of the IWA’s watershed and river basin management specialist group: 2014 - present

Member of the international, Innovation Investment Advisory Committee (IIAC) – 2016/17

IWA Young Water Professionals Award Winner and Global Ambassador: 2014 - 2016

Water Institute of Southern Africa Board (WISA) (membership number: 23825) Director on WISA Board 2012 – 2014

GreenMatter Senior Fellow - 2013

International Water Association – non-executive Director on IWA board of directors 2010-2012

International Water Association – IWA YWP Global President 2010-2012

International Water Association - IWA YWP Africa Representative 2010-2012

Southern African Young Water Professionals – National President 2012-2014

Southern African Young Water Professionals – National Vice-President 2010-2011

Biography: Sanele Mazibuko

Sanele Mazibuko holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering

degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and has more

than ten years of process engineering experience. He also

holds a BCom Financial Management degree from UNISA,

and a BEng(Hons) Water Utilization from University of

Pretoria.

He is currently a Process Engineer at Umgeni Water, and

conducts process engineering functions which entail plant

commissioning, optimization, design, and process audits

for water treatment plants.

He is a member of SAIChE and a registered professional

engineer with ECSA. He has been a WISA member since 2013 and has served as Treasurer of YWP-

ZA KZN Chapter (2015-2017). He is currently the Secretary of WISA’s Anaerobic Sludge Processes

Division.

Contribution

I have mentored over 20 graduates under the National Treasury water skills development programme.

These graduates have now been placed at various WSAs and WSPs and are contributing in the

development of the water sector. I have led a few due diligence assessments and drought alleviation

interventions which have resulted in improved water services in the most vulnerable parts of the KZN

province. I am furthering my contribution through research into the emerging contaminants field which

aims at ensuring safe and sustainable future water supply.

I have served in the WISA committees; planning and executing workshops, conferences and skills

development initiatives. These include a focussed workshop on how the new WISA can be responsive

to the water sector needs.

I currently hold both an engineering and BCom degree which broadens my view on water related

issues. I will be bringing my technical and financial management skills as well as the required energy

to safely transition the Southern African water sector to the future. My previous and current

experience in structured skills transfer projects and mentoring will be an added advantage in ensuring

an increased WISA stakeholder value.

Profile for Dan Naidoo: Regional Manager– UMGENI WATER

Dan Naidoo has been in the employ of Umgeni Water for 27

years. He has a BSc (Hons) Water Utilization Eng. degree and

post graduate management certifications. He has spent most of

his years at Umgeni Water in various management positions in

the Operations Division and the Office of the Chief Executive

and has a wealth of operations management and executive

experience.

Over the recent years he has provided strategic support related

to technical and administrative functions on behalf of Umgeni

Water to KZN COGTA and DWS. He has also managed the RBIG

National Programme for DWS since inception in 2008 to March

2015. In this role he was appointed as Administrator of

Uthukela Water (Pty) Ltd in 2008, to stabilise the operation of this municipal entity and develop the

turnaround strategy. He was therafter appointed by the MEC of COGTA KZN to Chair the Board of

this entity until its transition into a Bulk Water supplier, a position he still currently holds. Dan is a

registered Director with the CIPC. Dan’s current interests are Infrastructure Funding Models and

Institutional arrangement s for the water sector, as well as the associated technologies with a

particular focus on risk and governance.

Dan has been a long standing member of WISA for over 20 years and has served on the KZN Branch

since 2016. He was appointed as LOC Chair of the WISA Biennial Conference held in Durban in 2016

and was instrumental in hosting a successful conference while also realising a profit for WISA. If

elected to the Board, I bring a wealth of both technical and governance related experience and

knowledge gained in the water sector in South Africa both from a utility perspective and working

with local government.

1

Résumé – Harrison H. Pienaar PhD HDipBusM.

Nationality: South African

Age: 45

Marital Status: Married

Driver’s License: EB (code 08)

Languages: English; Afrikaans

Contact Details: +27-60-422-6840 (mobile)

PO Box 12087, Queenswood, 0121

Employment: July 2011 – Present: CSIR, Pretoria.

April 2001 – June 2011: Department of Water Affairs, Pretoria.

April 1999 – March 2001: Consultant, Johannesburg.

January 1995 – March 1999: Eskom (Megawatt Park), Midrand.

My career spans 24 years: 4 years (Eskom), 2 years (consulting), 10 years (DWA), 8 years (CSIR).

Contribution to the Water Sector

To date, I’ve steered a number of key strategic water related initiatives and programs, notably:

Water for Growth and Development in South Africa; and CSIR’s Water Sustainability Flagship.

Some of these initiatives are contextualised in a book which I’ve co-authored, titled: Sustainable

use of South Africa’s Inland Waters. I’ve led key bilateral programs with neighbouring countries,

and steered strategic water partnership programs between SA and water ministries of China and

Russia. I’ve also served as Commissioner on 2 transboundary water management institutions.

Contributions to WISA

To date, I’ve played an effective strategic advocacy role in strengthening strategic water sector

partnerships and programs as it relates to WISA’s vision and mission. Contributions have been

mainly in the form of effective support to WISA conference activities and proceedings, WISA

branch activities (mainly Gauteng and Western Cape), in my previous and current WISA capacities

as: Advisory Council Member, Member, Fellow Member, and Patron Member Representative at

DWA (Chief Director: Resource Measures) and CSIR (Competence Area Manager: Water).

Value of my role as WISA Director

My background and experience in corporate affairs and senior management spans 15 years mostly

in the water, energy, environment, and RDI domains, notably through Eskom, DWS and CSIR.

Throughout my career in both public and private sectors, I have gained sound knowledge, insights

and experience on aspects of corporate governance (King Report on Corporate Governance) as it

relates to public sector governance and relevant legislative prescripts. I’m also busy completing

(90% completed) an MBL qualification. Currently, I’m advocating local and international strategic

partnerships and collaboration in water, in my capacities as:

• President: China Africa Water Association (CAWA).

• Associate Professor: Institute of Africa Water Resources & Environmental Engineering,

Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, China.

• Advisory Board Member: Environment & Natural Materials Research Institute,

Alexandria, Egypt.

• Patron Member Representative: IWA and World Water Council (WWC).

• Member: Southern African Water Centres of Excellence (SANWATCE).

____________________________________________________________________________________

Ashwin Seetal trained as a trans-disciplinary scientist and is a multi-disciplinary specialist with extensive experience in strategic and operational projects in various roles. During his 38-year career in higher education, government, business and research, his business and technical acumen together with his sector insights have helped him establish a wide network of local and international partnerships. He is a regular speaker and panellist at local and international events and an invited lecturer and trainer for a number of local and international institutions.

In addition to his compelling ability to lead multi-disciplinary project teams, he is a consummate strategist, communicator, negotiator and facilitator in the analysis and resolution of complex technical, socio-political, business and management issues in the water sector. His passion is systems analysis, strategy formulation through to intervention implementation.

His contributions to the water sector in South Africa are in: laboratory analytical services; sector and organisational change; legislative reform; water quality management; water use allocations and authorisations compliance and enforcement; institutional establishment; programme configuration and implementation; and, youth development. Many aspects of his work contributed to the current and previous organisational structure, policy, legislative and implementation processes in the sector. He has shared many of his experiences with developed and developing countries undertaking focussed sector interventions or reforms, in the capacity as an advisor or expert.

Although he joined WISA in 2007, his involvement in WISA activities dates back to the early 1990’s in several divisions and the then Natal Branch. He is the current Vice-Chair of the WISA IWA-SA Division and the inaugural Gauteng Branch Chairman.

He regards current developments in WISA as long overdue and very progressive, heralding in a new and exciting phase for the organisation. His value proposition to this future will be in three key areas:

(1) Expanding its continental footprint;

(2) Entrenching and enhancing its professionalisation; and,

(3) Increasing the critical mass of active and meaningful youth participation in management and activities.

Biography: Ashwin Seetal Specialist: Strategic Water Management

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