Speakers

Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa

Mr Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa is the Minister of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa from the 26 May 2014.

He is also a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC); member of the ANC National Working Committee (NWC) and an active member of King Dingiswayo branch of the ANC in KZN.

He was elected as the first Branch Secretary of ANC in Klaarwater in KZN since 1990 and has been a member of Parliament from 2002.

Academic Qualifications
Mr Mthethwa holds a Diploma in Community Development from University of Natal; a Certificate in Mining Engineering from University of Johannesburg and a Certificate in Communications and Leadership from Rhodes University.

Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities
He has been a member of the Klaarwater Youth Organisation from the age of 15 in KZN between 1982 and 1983; and as a Chairperson of the Klaarwater Youth Organisation from 1987 to 1989.

He has also served as a Shopsteward of Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) where he was recruited into the underground work of the ANC as part of Operation Vula between 1988 and 1989. He was arrested during Apartheid Regime’s state of emergency in 1989; and later he was elected as Secretary of the South African Youth Congress (SAYCO) in Southern Natal and as a Chairperson of the Southern Natal Unemployed Workers Union, an initiative of Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) between 1989 and 1990 respectively.

He became Regional Secretary of the Southern Natal African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) from 1990 to 1992; and he was elected to the NEC of the ANCYL and served in its NWC as Secretary for organization from 1994 to 2001. Later in that year he was deployed into the ANC National Organising team during the period 2001 to 2002.

As member of Parliament Mr Mthethwa had served as a Chairperson for Minerals and Energy Portfolio Committee from 2004 to 2008; and as Chief Whip of the ANC in 2008. He also served on the Board of Directors of 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organisation Committee.

Prior to his appointment as Minister of Police; Mr Mthethwa was the Minister of Safety and Security of the Republic of South Africa from 25 September 2008 to 10 May 2009. Mr Mthethwa was the Minister of Police of the Republic of South Africa since 11 May 2009 till 25 May 2014.

Research/Presentations/Awards/Decorations/Bursaries and Publications
Mr Mthethwa has Contributed articles to Mayibuye and Umrabulo Publications.

Vusumuzi Mkhize

Department of Sports, Arts and Culture

Mamotshabo Johanna Boloka

Mamotshabo Johanna Boloka is a 28 years old lecturer in the programme of information studies , University of Limpopo (UL). She holds a Master of Arts in Information Science (M INF) degree from University of South Africa and currently registered for Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science (PhD) with UNISA. She worked with University of Zululand as nGAP lecturer from 2018 to 2019. She worked with the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa (DPP:MMABATHO) as a librarian from 2015 to 2018 . She also worked for National Institute for Occupational Health as a Junior librarian. Ms Boloka published four (4) papers in accredited journals, two of which were collaborated. Ms Boloka presented papers in the LIASA conference as well as UNILISA conference. She also served as a member of the University of Limpopo Information Studies Society as Deputy Secretary. Her main areas of interest at present are public or community librarianship, information organisation and retrieval (Cataloguing and Classification), user studies in LIS and ICTs in education.

Elinor Sisulu

Zimbabwean-born South Africa writer and human rights activist Elinor Sisulu combines training in history, English literature, development studies and feminist theory from institutions in Zimbabwe, Senegal and the Netherlands.

She is the author of the award-winning books, The Day Gogo Went to Vote (1997) and Walter and Albertina Sisulu: In Our Lifetime (2003).

She is a founder member and current Executive Director of the Puku Children’s Literature Foundation. In 2019 she was awarded an honorary PhD by the University of Pretoria for her work in human rights and reading promotion.

Ginny Stone

Ginny Stone has been writing for a large portion of her life.

She’s had sixteen storybooks for children traditionally published and believes that changing the mind-set of the next generation is going to help save the earth. Empowering children, one page at a time is her passion. Stone has also independently published other books.

Stone designs educational games, posters and enjoys mosaicking and upcycling. She can often be found fiddling around in the garden.

She shares her life with her husband, Chris, a wealth of other family members, and two rescue cats.

For more information visit www.sibo.co.za

Godwin Khosa

Godwin Khosa is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT), he was appointed in 2013. He was previously CEO and Programme Director respectively at JET Education Services. The early 2000s (2001-2003) saw Godwin honing his research skills as research manager of the Human Sciences Research Council. Prior to this, Godwin served as policy analyst and senior manager as the Centre for Education Policy Development (CEPD). Godwin holds a Masters of Management, specialising in Public and Development Management (Wits); a post-graduate diploma in Public Policy and Administration (Wits); BA Honours in Geography (UNISA) and BA Education (UNIN). Godwin is second year PhD candidate with the University of Sussex.

Jeanette Morton

Jeanette Morton is the Digital Publisher at Oxford University Press where she is responsible for creating, developing and delivering all digital products and digital platforms.

Jeanette has extensive experience in the educational publishing industry as author and editor. She has been with OUP for several years as part of the team that produces best-selling, superior-quality print and digital learning material and resources. Her interest in digital learning has resulted in the development of a range of digital products – including interactive ebooks, standalone digital products and digital platforms – that have introduced new and innovative ways to make digital learning accessible, effective and productive.

Mignon Hardie

Mignon Hardie is the executive director of the FunDza Literacy Trust, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to growing a culture of reading and writing among South Africa’s youth. The organisation is hailed for its innovative use of mobile technology to disseminate locally generated, exciting content and for developing a new generation of writers. She is also a director of Cover2Cover Books, an independent publisher, co-founder of Veedo, a reverse-billed video conferencing system, and serves on the boards of Wordworks and The Trust Connection. Mignon has a BA from UCT and an MBA from Stellenbosch University.

Susan Van der Ree

Educated as a librarian at the Frederik Muller Academie, Amsterdam after which I studied general linguistics at the Free University, Amsterdam (Master, doctoraal). Moved to South Africa to become a lecturer of Dutch linguistics at the Afrikaans Department of the University of the Western Cape.

Currently, I am a lecturer of linguistics and head of the Language Center at the Education Department of Christelijke Hogeschool Ede (University of Applied Sciences), The Netherlands. Chairperson of a foundation called Stichting Dibana, aimed at engaging and connecting people in the Dutch language space (e.g. Southern Africa, Caribbean region, The Netherlands) supporting educational and cultural projects focusing on reading and literature.

Alecia Steenkamp

Assistant Director: Planning & Research
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts & Culture
Library Services

Alecia Steenkamp joined KZN Provincial Library Services in June 1997 as a Regional Librarian in Pietermaritzburg. Her career spans over multiple areas within Provincial Library Services. She started as a librarian in the region working directly with public libraries. She moved to Collection Development, then Assistant Director at the Region to AD Planning & Research where she currently is. The broad knowledge gained over 24 years in multiple roles provided her with the vital skills and wealth of knowledge required in this unique and inspiring field. She is passionate about the development public libraries in communities.

Denise Mubaiwa

Denise Mubaiwa is an independent Research Consultant who has 8 years of experience in the social and economic justice sector conducting research, designing and implementing advocacy campaigns, and managing programs in a wide range of socio-economic issues such as child literacy, gender-based violence, tax justice, the extractives sector, and financing for development. Previously, she worked as the Research and Advocacy Lead at Nal’ibali Trust, where she took the lead in designing and implementing the Nal’ibali advocacy strategy as well as conducting research. She holds a postgraduate degree in Economics from Rhodes University and has published research papers.

Elizabeth Nadler-Nir

Elizabeth Nadler-Nir (MSc) is a speech-language therapist who works with a team of language therapists in a language and literacy practice in Cape Town. She is a consultant and therapist who works with school aged learners with barriers to language and literacy. She is the inventor of Oxford Reading Safari, previously called VRG, an online reading intervention which won the 2019 International Excellence award for Learning Resources.

Hazel Matiwane

Born on 3 December 1970 in Beaufort West. Married with three children. Hazel Matiwane matriculated from Imizamo Yethu High School in (1989). After school she attained a Senior Primary Teachers Diploma in (1993) from Good Hope College, a BTech degree in Education Law in (1998) from PE Technikon, a Bed Honours degree (2006) from North West University, a Master’s degree in (2011) from North West University, and a Philosophia Doctor in Learning Support in (2018) from North West University. Hazel Matiwane is currently working for the Department of Correctional Services as Manager: Education and Training.

Dr Nomusa Zimu-Biyela

Dr Nomusa Zimu-Biyela is a teacher and a librarian by profession. Currently she is working as a Lecturer at the University of South Africa (UNISA), Department of Information Science. The areas of her interest are information for development, school, community and academic libraries, indigenous knowledge systems, cataloguing, information literacy and gender issues. She completed a doctoral degree at the University of South Africa in 2016.

Mr Kepi Madumo

Mr Kepi Madumo is a highly experienced executive who, since early 2002, has gained senior leadership experience in the Library and Information Sector as Director: Provincial Library, Information and Archives Services in the North West Province.

The most notable roles occupied by Mr Madumo include Executive Director in the Department of Community Development, City of Johannesburg; Strategic Executive Director in the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts, Culture and Libraries, City of Tshwane; Director of Information Management in the National Department of Social Development; and Divisional Head of Strategy, Research and Organisation Performance at the City of Ekurhuleni.

Mr Madumo holds a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Cape Town and has completed the Executive Leadership Programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria; Management Advancement Programme (MAP) at Wits Business School; Municipal Finance Management Programme (MFMP) at the University of Pretoria; Honours Degree in Information Studies from the Rand Afrikaans University (now the University of Johannesburg) and a four-year Bachelor’s Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of the North (now the University of Limpopo).

The NLSA Board is very pleased to have attracted someone of Mr Madumo’s calibre; with the track record and potential to lead the NLSA in further growth stages. The Board, Executive Management Team and staff of the NLSA look forward to working with Mr Madumo to serve the people of South Africa as we pursue the mandate of the National Library of South Africa.

Mr Themba Dlamini

Chairman
National Library Of South Africa

Obakeng Jacobs

Obakeng Jacobs, co-director of Skema Biko Nights based in Jan Kempdorp, Northern Cape. A registered non-profit company premised in community based literacy programs and book club. Among its major milestones, are book fair”Mokaragana Wa Dikwalo Wa Taung” and poetry festival”Moletlo Wa Poko Wa Phokwane”. That saw international and national poets,academics and writers like Sabata Mpho Mokae, Mogale Sedibe, Professor Kehinde Andrews among many grace its events.

He is also a co-founder of a mobile bookstore called Black Ink Books Saloon, an independent literary vehicle that aims to to create a melting pot of art mediums.

I believe its through learned society and purposeful reading we could build a confident and successful communities.

I can be contacted on 0782397453.

Katie Huston

Katie is the Chief Operating Officer at the Nal’ibali campaign, and previously served as its Head of Research and Innovation. Before joining Nal’ibali, she spent three years supporting and learning from education champions as a portfolio manager at the DG Murray Trust. She’s also worked at the South African Education Project (SAEP); co-authored two ‘economics for dummies’ books; and represented South Africa at the Ultimate Frisbee world championships. A Marshall Scholar, she has a BA in Journalism (University of Massachusetts Amherst), an MA in Global Political Economy (University of Sussex), and an MSc in Social Anthropology (London School of Economics).

Dr E N Bizos

Erato-Nadia Bizos is an independent education specialist with a genuine passion for all things relating to literacy development and learning. She has over 25 years proven expertise in educational curriculum development, delivery and management as well as extensive experience in teacher training.

Educated to PhD level with a strong academic background ranging from a formal teaching qualification through to special educational needs, applied linguistics and psychology. Her areas of professional interest include fostering stronger home-school relationships; developing recreational reading habits; and independent writing. Dr Bizos’ particular interest in issues of identity and literacy began with her PhD work which examined how children in South African township schools construct their identities as readers and writers.

Dr Bizos has a long-standing relationship with READ Educational Trust and a real commitment to furthering their call to transform and improve literacy opportunities for all South African learners.

Dr Buhle Mbambo-Thata

Dr. Buhle Mbambo-Thata is University Librarian of the National University of Lesotho. Prior to that she was Director of Resources Development of the African Library and Information Association and Institutions (AfLIA); Executive Director of Library Services at the University of South Africa; and before that she was University Librarian at the University of Zimbabwe. She serves as Chairperson of Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) board. She serves on the board of directors of the National Library of South Africa and the African Journals Online (AJOL). She has served as governing board member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and was a member of the Strategic Advisory Network of the Global Libraries program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Vuyokazi Mandongana

Vuyokazi Mandongana obtained a B.Bibl degree through University of the Western Cape in 1999. She has more than 10 years work experience in the Library & Information Services field. She has worked in all spheres of government accumulating vast working experience in different Library Services functions. Her passion for Library Outreach work developed when she joined Public Libraries in 2008. She is currently employed by South African Library for the Blind (SALB) in the Eastern Cape as a Senior Outreach Librarian and Member Liaison. One of her key responsibilities is to work with schools for the Blind, where she initiates Library Programmes and promotes library services. Her goal, through SALB is to extend outreach services to all arears, rural and urban. She believes every member of the community, especially Blind and Partially sighted should have equal access to information despite geographical location and physical impairment. She is a member of Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA)

Dorothy Dyer

Dorothy Dyer is a former English teacher who taught at a range of South African high schools. Her passion for getting her students reading was the impetus for the establishment of FunDza Literacy Trust, which uses its online platform to disseminate exciting local content to readers around the country. Dorothy edits and develops material for FunDza’s site as well as designing its educational programmes. She has written numerous English textbooks, as well as teen novels. She has a Masters from in Applied Language and Literacy Studies, and also a Masters in Creative Writing, both from UCT.

Rotenda Gavhi

NLSA

Young Voices Poetry Slam Winner

Sifundo Nkomo

I am a PhD holder form the University of South Africa. I am currently lecturing at the National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. I have a passion of reading, in 2018 I started my own home library for children aged between four and eleven. My research interests are reading culture, reading habits, indigenous languages, creative writing, school libraries, and web 2.0 technologies and social media.

Makgatla Thepa

Makgatla Thepa is a founder of Ponelopele reading club and library. Her love for community development started when she was a teenager and recruited to lead National Council of African Women youth wing in 2001. She is a former student activist. Her interests are in reading and women empowerment. She is currently working at Capricorn College for TVET responsible for Polokwane Campus Procurement and also a Part-time lecturer for Municipal Administration in the same institution. She is pursuing Masters in Public Administration. Makgatla is married to Matome Chidi and is a mother of four children.

Kwazi Ndlangisa

NLSA Poetry Slam Runner Up

Pot Of Art
Managing Director & Co-founder

Dr Nicoline Wessels

Dr Wessels is a senior lecturer in the Department of Information Science at UNISA. She has worked extensively in special and scientific libraries since 1981 and started her academic career in 2003. She has taught miscellaneous subjects on undergraduate and honours level including information and knowledge management, user studies, school libraries and library management. She is currently responsible for an information literacy module with a student enrollment of 30 000 in 2020. She was involved in the Family Literacy Project funded by the Rockefeller Foundation from 2003 to 2004 throughout townships in South Africa and in the Reading is FUNdamental Project from 2005 to 2011, specifically in Atteridgeville. She completed her Masters on the latter project. Dr Wessels wrote her PhD with information literacy as topic and supervises masters and doctoral students in this and other fields of interest. She has spoken at national and international conferences and authored various articles.

Barbara Strydom

Barbara Strydom started her career in education in 1994 as a high school teacher of English. After teaching for 13 years in KwaZulu Natal, London and in the Western Cape, she left the classroom to start a career in educational publishing at Oxford University Press. It was here that she cemented her observations as a teacher, that the key to academic success for any learner, was the ability to read with comprehension and that South African children deserved a local reading scheme made for them by people who knew them. This led to Oxford’s flagship reading scheme, Aweh! and to a newfound passion for Barbara. Helping children learn how to read and to have fun while learning this critical skill.

Andile Nelani

Education-         

• In 1987 completed Grade 12 at Khumbulani High School in King Williams Town.
• In 1990 completed a Secondary Teachers Diploma at Cape College n Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape.
• In 1994 completed a BA Degree at the University of the Western Cape
• In 1998 completed B.Ed Honours at the University of the Western Cape
• Currently: Completing an intercontinental Master’s Degree in Adult learning and Global Change. This is an interactive academic online programme that brings together rich diverse intercontinental academic learning culture from students of the following international institutions, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, (South Africa), Linkoping University, Linkoping (Sweden) University of British Colombia, Vancouver(Canada) and Australian Catholic University, Melbourne(Australia)

• The Topic of the academic paper that the authors is writing is:

“Transformation of Planning, Provisioning and Management  of offender education and training in the Department of Correctional Services in the Western Cape in South Africa and the role of social movements”  

• Employment History
• Regional Coordinator Education and Training – Department of Correctional Services (DCS) in the Western Cape- 2003-to date
• Provincial Strategic Head- DCS Western Cape -1999-2003
• Educationist DCS- 1996- 1999
• Divisional Head: Agricultural Science: Western Cape Department of Education : Ikamvalethu Finishing School, Langa Cape Town.-1993-1996   

 

• Achievements:

• Best Regional Coordinator Education and Training: Department of Correctional Services-2003
• Published 1st academic research paper through UNISA Mousaion Publisher in 2020 with the Title:

The role of reading in offender rehabilitation and reintegration into the community in the Western Cape Metro, South Africa:
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8855-7847

Jaya Raju

Jaya Raju is Professor and Head of the Department of Knowledge and Information Stewardship, Humanities Faculty, University of Cape Town. She holds a PhD in Information Studies (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and is an NRF rated researcher. Her area of research is Library and/or Information Science (LIS) education and its epistemological implications for the discipline as well as for professional practice, particularly in the African developing context. She was Editor-in-Chief of the South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science from 2012 to 2018; serves on the Editorial Advisory Boards of the African Journal of Libraries, Archives and Information Science; International Journal of Information, Diversity & Inclusion, Open Information Science; African Journal of Communication & Information Science; Information Research; Journal of Librarianship & Information Science; is inaugural Coeditor of the ALISE (Association for Library and Information Science Education) Book Series on LIS education and research; is Coeditor of the International Insights Column of College & Research Libraries News and Coeditor-in-Chief of Library Trends; and, serves as Subject Chair (LIS and multi-disciplinary journals) on the Scopus Content Selection & Advisory Board – an international group of scientists and researchers representing major scientific disciplines and tasked with evaluating journals applying for inclusion on the Scopus indexing list.

Karen Simpson

Oxford University Press

Dr Lorette Jacobs

Dr Lorette Jacobs is a senior lecturer in the Department of Information Science at Unisa. Her interests range from records management to the use of ICTs in information practices, information literacy development, curriculum development and the improvement of teaching and learning practices in higher education. Her current research relates to transcending research paradigms to encompass an Afro-centric paradigmatic construct and exploring supervision models that are unique to the open distance e-learning environment. She has published in the Mousaion and contributed a number of book chapters in research methodology textbooks. She completed a MPhil in Higher Education at the University of Stellenbosch in 2020.

Zamani Mbanjwa

Zamani Mbanjwa was born on 24 January 1988 in Harding Kwazulu-Natal he did his Secondary Schooling Sehole Combined School and processed to Durban University of Technology where he did National Diploma in Library Information Studies, He also did Archival service programme at Unisa. His professional Career entails experience in government where he serves as Librarian at Gauteng Department of sport, Arts, Culture & Recreation, He is Currently serving as Principal Librarian his duties involve electronic Resources, Library programmes such as Finger Spelling Bee and Resource Centre administration.

Tsakane Chauke

Tsakane Chauke is a librarian, facilitator and a PHD students who values dedication, service, and excellence. Tsakane is currently an Assistant Director at Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. He has over 15 years of library experience on research, reading programmes, electronic resources, training, monitoring and evaluation. Together with his colleagues, Tsakane is the brains behind Finger Spelling Bee and the programme won gold at the Gauteng Premier Awards in 2018. Tsakane is passionate about libraries, people and service delivery.

Zongezile Matshoba

Zongezile Matshoba is part of the Education and Public Programmes (EPP) at Amazwi South African Museum of Literature (formerly the National English Literary Museum). The museum collects preserve South African literature as part of the country’s literary heritage. Through the EPP team, the museum ensures that the literary collection is taken to the people, or the people come to the museum to engage with its literary collection and spaces. This is done through education, exhibitions and public programmes such as book launches and book festivals. You will therefore find Zongezile Matshoba in your township or village or school or town or hall or open ground, and wherever there is a literary event for the young and old. Other than that, he spends his time writing, among other things. His creative pieces narrate the humour and hardships of township and rural life, and interrogates whether it is yet uhuru in people’s livelihood.

Lefose Makgahlela

Lefose Makgahlela was born on the 19 September 1974 in Ga-Mothapo, Tjatjaneng Village. He attended his primary school at Tjatjaneng Primary and matriculated in 1994 in Masobe High School. He registered for B A Degree at the University of the North, now University of Limpopo from 1994-1996, completed his Higher Diploma in Information Studies from the same university in 1997 and B.Inf Honours Degree in 1998. He completed Masters Degree in Information Technology with University of Pretoria in 2003 and in 2007, he completed Masters of Philosophy (MPhil) in Information and Knowledge Management with University of Stellenbosch. Currently his is busy with PhD with the University of Kwazulu-Natal.

He started his career as Senior Library Assistant at Germiston City Libraries now Ekurhuleni Metro Libraries in 1999, and then moved to the South African Reserve Bank as Senior Information Officer from 2001 until 2007 when he joined UNISA Department of Information Studies as a Lecturer, and from 2009 he moved to UNISA Library as Librarian. On the 01st May 2011, he joined University of Limpopo as a Lecturer in the Programme of Information Studies up to date. Mr Makgahlela is a passionate library and information professional who spent all his entire career in the field of library and information services and accumulated enormous amount of knowledge that he is now sharing with students.

He was also a Member and Treasurer of Limpopo Provincial Library Board from August 2015-2018. One of his biggest passion has been training of community librarians in South Africa. Throughout his career he produced and mentored many librarians in the country that hold senior position in both private and public sector. Mr Makgahlela have been instrumental in promoting library and information services within the community, and presented papers and talks at various events on library matter including National Library Week.

Prof. Mpho Ngoepe

Mpho Ngoepe is NRF Y2 rated professor and chair of the Department of Information Science at the University of South Africa. Prior to his current position at UNISA, Prof Ngoepe has worked for the United Nations Children’s Fund, Auditor-General South Africa and the National Archives of South Africa to mention just a few. Prof Ngoepe is serving in the national committee of the South African Society of Archivists (2009-2021). He also served in the board of Eastern and Southern Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (2009-2019) as the editor of the journal. He also served on the advisory council of the National Archives of South Africa in his capacity as the chairperson of Gauteng Provincial Archives. He was the director of Team Africa for the multi-national, interdisciplinary research project exploring issues concerning digital records called the International Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems (InterPARES Trust) (2013-2018). Prof Ngoepe has published two award winning anthologies of Northern Sotho short stories, as well as folk tales and historical book. He is the 2004 IVAISLIP/SABINET Information Officer of the year. In 2007 he was recognized by the South African Human Rights Commission and the Open Democracy Advice Center for implementation of the Promotion of Access to Information Act at the Auditor-General South Africa. He is the 2015 Unisa Information Science alumnus of the year. In 2020, he was awarded a Chancellor’s Prize for Excellence in Research, a coveted bi-annual prize that is given to outstanding and deserving active UNISA researchers. Ngoepe is the biographer for Ludwick Mamabolo, a Comrades champion (2012). He has published widely in archives and records management.

Dr Naresh Sentoo

Dr Naresh Sentoo is currently Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information Systems at the Durban University of Technology. He has presented numerous papers at conferences and conducted many workshops. Dr Sentoo has supervised and currently supervises postgraduate students. He was a member of the SAQA Standards Generating Body and is a currently a member of the Council for Higher Education (CHE) – LIS task team which is finalizing the 480 credit Professional LIS Degree. Dr Sentoo was nominated by the Honorable Minister, Mr Nathi Mthethwa to Chair the National Council for Library and Information Services (NCLIS) for the period 2019-2021. Dr Sentoo is passionate about continuing professional development and worker rights.

Daniel Rankadi Mosako

Daniel Rankadi Mosako is an archivist and a fine artist who obtained the following qualifications, Bachelors degree in Fine Arts in Education, Honours degree in Information Science, Honours degree in History of Art, Postgraduate Diploma in Heritage and Museum Studies. Masters degree in Fine Arts and Masters degree in Heritage and Museum Studies.

His creative output uses metaphoric representation to contribute to the social cohesion discourse. Whereas, his heritage and archival studies deal with principles and strategies of public programming.

Ian Levy Segone

Mr Ian Levy Segone is the Deputy Director at the Provincial Department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation in the North West Province. The position he occupied since 2006 with a continuous service of fifteen (15).  He is responsible for providing centralized professional support to community libraries in the Province. His responsibilities among others are:

• ICT support to community libraries
• Reference and research
• Technical services
• Reading awareness and library promotions

He vows to continue contribution to the success of the North West Provincial Library Services with his extensive experience he acquired from all his colleagues and the profession itself.
He presented a paper at the 16th Annual LIASA conference titled ‘A view of North West Provincial Library Services from checkout points to users’ space’.

Natalia Molebatsi

Natalia Molebatsi is a Pan-African feminist writer, poet, MC, recording artist and cultural worker. Her CDs, Come as you are: Poems for Four Strings (2013) and Natalia Molebatsi & The Soul-Making (2015) are a fusion of poetry and a variety of music styles, both available on iTunes. Natalia is the editor of We are: A Poetry Anthology (Penguin, 2008) and Wild Imperfections: An Anthology of Womanist Poems (Forthcoming, Penguin Random House and Cassava Republic Press, 2021). She is the author of Sardo Dance (Ge’ko, 2009) and Elephant Woman Song (Forum, 2017).

Her writing is included in, among other journals, Scrutiny2, Rhodes Journalism Review, Agenda Feminist Media, and Muziki. Natalia has performed poetry and presented creative writing workshops in over 15 countries in 5 continents.

She is currently the Marketing Coordinator at the Unisa Library and is reading for her Phd in Performance at Northwestern University, Chicago.

www.nataliamolebatsi.com

Instagram: NataliaMolebatsi, Twitter: @this_natalia, Facebook Natalia Molebatsi

Sunitha Amod

General Manager- Biblionef South Africa. Reading Activist.0

Dr Baxolile Dimane-Mngadi

Dr Baxolile is a founder of the first poetry newspaper in South Africa called Izimbongi Zenkululeko news. She is a founder of izimbongi zenkululeko reading and writing clubs in Kwazulu-Natal schools and libraries. She is a founder of Izingane online radio based in Kwazulu-Natal. She is also the founder of TVET online radio station. She established schools tourism programme. She is a founder of schools and public library (IZ ONLINE RADIO CORNER LIBRAIES).

SOCI0-ECONOMIC challenges facing KwaZulu-Natal’s rural and urban youth, young women in particular, is what inspired this young Durban-based traditional and modern poet to take up the pen and the microphone to give the nation some hope to the fast-diminishing trust on our youth.

“Among other things, we were being labelled the “lost generation”, “the coconuts” and “amalulwane” because when we grew up most of us lacked identity with our communities and we were abandoning our traditional and cultural way of life. It was like we were going to take the blame for the directionless generations to come. “From time immemorial, poets and writers were taken as prophets and were like mirrors of that particular age and society. I chose the poetry terrain to preach to our people about what was happening and or what should be happening in our society,” Dr Baxolile said.

Born in a strict Christian family – her late father was a priest with one of the spiritual churches; she started jotting some poetic verses when she was still at secondary school level at Sithengile High School in Clermont. She became part of the cultural events organised by the school and was performing her poems at those events.

After matriculating, she went on to study towards a Communication Science degree at the University of South Africa (Unisa) and continued to perform her poetry in small community events like cultural days, funerals, weddings and church events.

Her breakthrough came in 2006 when she was invited to be a member of a provincial poetry project called IZINTOMBI ZENGCUCE. This project was in celebration of 130 years since a KwaZulu women’s regiment iButho leNgcugce defied Zulu King Cetshwayo’s order to get married to an old men’s regiment called iButho leNdlondlo. Those young women who were still virgins were subsequently killed for defying the King and their act of defiance is regarded as one of the first heroic deed by African women and a cornerstone for the struggle for the emancipation of women.

Among her performances, she was approached by the KZN government to write a poem during the commemoration of Queen Nandi, King Shaka’s mother, which she performed during the unveiling of the Queen’s tombstone in 2007. She has also worked as a journalist for some Durban-based community newspapers and in 2014 she was approached to work as a producer for a kids’ programme at 1KZN-TV. In 2016 she started her own kids’ radio station, Izingane Online Radio which is still in operation.

The kids’ radio station which is the first in South Africa, trains kids on radio presentation and is working with different schools libraries across the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Because of her activism on arts and culture issues, in 2008, she was elected Chairperson of the KZN Arts and Culture Forum, a structure that was advising the provincial Department of Arts and Culture on Arts and Culture issues.

She was also the co-presenter of a weekly poetry show at SABC Education programme called Izimbongi zeNkululeko on Ukhozi FM, Africa’s biggest radio station.

Her poems appeared in the women’s poetry book Izintombize Ngcugce which was published shortly after Izintombi ZeNgcugce project. Her favourite poem is the one she wrote about South Africa’s former first lady MaKhumalo- Zuma which praises her for her love and endurance during the hard years when she was made a widow when her husband Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma was jailed and later forced to go into exile from the 1960s until the 1990s.

Prof Puleng LenkaBula

Prof Puleng LenkaBula is a trained Feminist Ethicist with a PhD in Social Ethics (2006/7). She is the new Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of South Africa since January 2021 and the first woman Vice Chancellor in the 148 years of Unisa existence and the 3rd Vice chancellor since the advent of South Africa’s democratisation. Prior to this appointment she worked at the University of the Free State as the Deputy Vice Chancellor: Institutional Change, Student Affairs and Engaged Scholarship. She has also worked at University of Witwatersrand as the Dean of Student Affairs and member of the Vice Chancellor’s office. She has published papers and books on the intersections of Economy, Ecology and Justice. LenkaBula continues to partner with scholars in other universities, including but not limited to visiting scholarships in Botswana, Ghana, Vasteras, Sweden, Columbia University Center for African studies and Emmanuel College of the University of Toronto.

Mahlaga Molepo

Mahlaga Molepo works as an Information Librarian at the University of the Free State. He holds a Master of Information Science degree from the University of Pretoria, and is currently studying towards a Doctor of Philosophy degree in the subject of Information Science at the University of South Africa.

Prof. Solomon Bopape

Seswai Cosmos Nchabeleng

Poet

Mrs Nikki Crowster

LIASA President

Dr Gcina Mhlophe

Facilitator