Department of Science and Technology (DST)
9 February 2006
Yesterday Cabinet approved the appointment of Dr Philemon Mphathi Mjwara
(47) as Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). Dr
Mjwara is currently group executive responsible for Research and Development
(R&D) at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and he
will most likely begin at DST on 1 April 2006.
Before becoming group executive for the CSIR in 2005, Dr Mjwara was the head
of the CSIR National Laser Centre where he was instrumental in creating a
network of laser centres in Africa.
Dr Mjwara said, "I am looking forward to this new challenge. I see this as
an opportunity to contribute to directing Science and Technology (S&T)
activities towards socio-economic ends, thereby increasing the relevance of
S&T to socio-economic development. I also hope to see the fruits of S&T
diffusing through to society in the best possible way."
When he joined CSIR he was director of technology development at the
department of arts, culture, science and technology, as it was then known. He
was a member of the core team responsible for developing scenarios for South
Africa (1999 to 2010) as part of the first technology foresight project. For
this, Dr Mjwara set up a team of 12 sector co-ordinators, designed the
framework for conducting the study and ran the project for five years. The
outputs of the project were presented to President Thabo Mbeki and cabinet
ministers in 2000.
His project approach led to a number of institutions from abroad inviting
the core team members to share their knowledge at conferences in Japan, Austria
and Hungary. Dr Mjwara was recently asked to participate in the development of
scenarios for South Africa for the years 2004 to 2014. This was run from the
office of the President.
Dr Mjwara's experience in academia includes serving as professor of S&T
policy at the University of Pretoria and as a physics lecturer at Wits, Unisa
and Fort Hare universities. He has published and presented numerous papers on
physics, technology analysis and technology foresight processes. Dr Mjwara
completed his MSc part-time at the University of Fort Hare in 1987, followed by
his PhD at Wits in 1995.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Mr Mosibudi Mangena, said âI am
delighted to have appointed a Director-General that has been an active and key
role player in the National System of Innovation.â
Enquiries:
Nhlanhla Nyide
Cell: 082 871 6767
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
9 February 2006
