THE government has quietly appointed one of the country’s top scientists Gatsha Mazithulela to head the office of Senior Minister and Zanu PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo as principal director.
STAFF REPORTER
Mazithulela’s foray into public administration was initially dented by a High Court challenge in February 2013 after Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo had controversially appointed him a special interest councillor for Bulawayo.
He had been appointed along with Siphiwe Ncube, but the Bulawayo Progressive Residents’ Association challenged their appointments arguing that they were a waste of ratepayers’ money as councillors’ terms of office were about to come to an end.
He was rejected by Zanu PF Bulawayo province losing controversial primary elections ahead of the July 2013 harmonised polls.
Mazithulela has known links to the South African government strategic planning unit and was key to the realignment of that country’s national research infrastructure, including nuclear assets and elements of the defence industry.
He has a rich history in the field of research having previously served as vice-president of the National Research Foundation (NRF).
Mazithulela quit the NRF following a bruising tussle with the opposition Democratic Alliance after he accused an international consortium of espionage and declared its €1,4 billion investment as a national key point, essentially putting its affairs into the hands of the South African State security agency.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Before joining the NRF, he was the executive director – biosciences at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa.
CSIR is one of the leading scientific and technology research, development and implementation organisations in Africa and it undertakes directed research and development for socioeconomic growth.
As CSIR executive director for biosciences, Mazithulela oversaw the strategic and operational management of a unit of 270 people with a turnover of R100 million per year.
Mazithulela has a PhD in Genetic Engineering and Molecular Virology from the John Innes Centre (UK) and has professional experience in research and development within the biotechnology sectors of government and large multinational businesses.
He also holds an MBA specialising in the valuation of new technologies using real options financial mathematics.
He has served as innovation manager for CSIR’s Biochemtek division, director of the South African Aids Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) at the South African Medical Research Council and managing director of Secure Plan Investment Limited in the UK.
He served as a board member for the Cape Biotechnology Trust, Anvir Biopharmaceticals Pty Limited and chairperson of Elevation Biotechnology (Pty) Ltd.
Listed among his achievements are the Fogarty Aids International Training and Research Scholarship at John Hopkins University in the United States (2004); Rockefeller Foundation Pre-doctoral fellowship (1995 to 1998); postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Nottingham; visiting scientist at DuPont Inc and was awarded support from the UK/South Africa Science and Technology Research Fund in 1997. His interests also extend to current affairs and military strategy.
Mazithulela was born in 1971 and did his secondary education at Milton High School in Bulawayo and was among the 270 pioneer National University of Science and Technology (Nust) students when the institution first opened its doors on April 8 1991.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons) in 1994 and then received a Rockefeller Foundation doctoral scholarship through the office of the president to study genetic engineering at the John Innes Centre in the UK.
Mazithulela graduated with a PhD in genetic engineering at the age of 27 and worked in the US and the UK. He also obtained an MBA in London.
Mazithulela created his own piece of history by becoming the first Nust graduate to obtain a PhD in 1998 after accepting a challenge from the institution’s founding vice-chancellor Phineas Makhurane.
