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BOARD MEMBERS

Our experienced board offers excellent oversight of governance, ensuing that the TASEZ can proudly claim additional clean audits to the two for each year it has been in existence.

Lionel October

Chairman
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Lionel October

A seasoned policy maker, Lionel is the former Director-General for the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, a position he left in April 2021 to take up a post as the head of the new Special Economic Zones (SEZs) Unit at the Industrial Development Corporation from 1 May 2021. He also acts as an Advisor on Industrial Policy and related matters to the Ministry.

Lionel joined the department as a Chief Director of Industrial Policy in 2001, served as the Deputy Director-General responsible for Enterprise and Economic development, and as an Economic and Trade Diplomat at the South African Embassy in Brussels from 2007 to 2011. He was appointed Director-General on 1 May 2011 and served two terms of office in that role. While at the Department, he aided in developing and growing SEZs.

In addition to his role at TASEZ, he is acting Commissioner of the National Lotteries Commission, a position he assumed in September 2022.

Lionel received the Best Performing Director-General Award in 2015. Prior to joining the civil service, he worked in the trade union movement for 10 years, including being the General Secretary of the South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union and also served as a senior Commissioner at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

Lionel holds MSc Degree in Economics (Development) from the University of London, as well as a Law Degree and BA Honours in Law and Development studies from the University of the Western Cape.

Dr Bheka Zulu

CEO
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Dr Bheka Zulu

Dr Zulu, who has a PhD in Leadership specialising  in the Ocean Economy from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, has been TASEZ CEO since August 2022 and brings with him vast experience in terms of business acumen, championing Port Operations/Logistics, Championing STEM intervention, IBSA/BRICS/IORA Bilateral/Multilateral Business Engagements at Government level, having served on the boards of the South African Maritime Safety Association (current), Moses Kotane Institute (current), and the South African Maritime Business Forum. He is also a qualified  Master/Captain, and him previous studies earned him a degree in Finance and Strategy, Master of Commerce (MCom) in Maritime Studies, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as an MBA focus on Entrepreneurship from Regenesys Business School.

Blake Mosley-Lefatola

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Blake Mosley-Lefatola​

Mosley-Lefatola is a consummate professional who has valuable experience from his previous senior management positions, where he led strategic planning and transformation projects of a large scale. Mosley-Lefatola previously worked at the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation as a Deputy DG for Public Sector Monitoring and Capacity Development. His previous senior management positions include being the Group CEO for Strategy, Policy, Relations and Coordination at the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, CEO of the State Information Technology Agency, CEO of the Gauteng Economic Development Agency, and a Municipal Manager at the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. Mosley-Lefatola obtained both his BA in African Political Studies and Industrial Sociology and, later, his BA Hons in Industrial Sociology at Wits University.

Susan Mangole

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Susan Mangole​

A dedicated professional leading the successful design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of government industrial financing interventions to bolster world class-economic infrastructure, enterprise development and growth of local manufacturing and related sectors, Mangole joined the board in May 2020. As a government representative, she also is Chief Operating Officer at dtic, a role she moved into during her 11-year career with the Department. Susan climbed the ladder at the Department and has previous experience in the SEZ sector, having been a board member for the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone since December 2018. She holds an MBA from Henley Business School, as well as a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management Practice and Leadership from the same institution. From Harvard Kennedy School, she has a Public Financial Management Certificate.

Maoto Molefane

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Maoto Molefane

Molefane is an economic and spatial industrial development planner by training and experience, with more than 15 years of exposure to packaging and implementing large scale spatial industrial and infrastructure development projects. After a stint as a development researcher in the private sector and a brief spell in the dtic as a Deputy Director, he spent couple of years as the head of Industrial Planning and Development with the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. Molefane re-joined the dtic in 2011 as a Director for SEZs and Spatial Economic Development. In 2018, he became Chief Director: SEZ. He has Masters degrees from University of Witwatersrand (in Development Planning) and from the University of London (in Public Finance Management).

Dr Lardo Stander

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Dr Lardo Stander

Stander is an experienced senior manager with a demonstrated history of success, working in the government administration industry and academic sector. With a love and passion for people, leading and learning, he has strong analytical skills, economic research experience, and economic policy implementation preferences. Stander is an economic and policy analysis professional and strategically orientated, having completed a doctorate (PhD) in economics from the University of Pretoria. He has an unquenchable passion for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial activities. He currently serves as the:

- Vice-President for the South African Association for Energy Economics

- Board Member of TASEZ

- Steering Committee Member of the New Higher Education Institutions for the Department of Higher Education and Training

- Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Tshwane Economic Development Agency

- Co-chair of the Economic Recovery Task Team for the City of Tshwane

Musa Khumalo

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Musa Khumalo​

Khumalo is the Group Head for Shared Services at the City of Tshwane, where his portfolio includes ICT, Fleet Management, Postal Services and Government Information Services. Musa has served in the public service for more than 17 years in various roles at National and Local Government. He holds a Masters degree in Risk Management and an Honours degree in Economics. Musa was awarded Risk Officer of the Year 2017 by the Chartered Institute of Government Finance, Audit and Risk Officers as well as a Runner-Up Risk Manager of the Year award by the Institute of Risk Management South Africa in 2016. Khumalo is a Mandela Washington Fellow.

Ockert Berry

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Ockert Berry​

Berry, as VP of Operations at the Ford Motor Company, represents our anchor tenant on the board. He has held this position, which covers Africa and the Middle East, since 2013 and is responsible for strategy and planning, among other things. He has been with Ford since January 2003 in one role or another, including as Plant Manager, where he was based at the Ford Ranger Assembly Facility. Ockbert has a Management Development Programme qualification from UNISA, which was preceded by a Human Resources degree.

Dhiren Vanmali

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Dhiren Vanmali

Vanmali also represents Ford on our board, and currently holds the position of Director of Sales Operations for International Markets, a key target area for South Africa’s automotive manufacturing sector. He has been with Ford since 2001 and has held various positions, working his way to his current role. He was appointed to the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone board in November 2020 and has Master of Business Leadership degree, in Change Management, earned in 2010 from the University of South Africa in 2010, An MBA from the University of Pretoria, completed in 2006, and a Batchelor of Technology in Industrial Engineering from the Tshwane University of Technology.

Njabulo Sithebe

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Njabulo Sithebe

Sithebe is a Research Associate at the Nelson Mandela University and is a Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance in South Africa.  He has a Masters in Development Finance (MDev) from Stellenbosch University in addition to several post-graduate degrees, degrees, and certificates.

Dr Thulani Alfred Mdadane

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Dr Thulani Alfred Mdadane

Dr Mdadane, who has a PhD from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in engineering in construction
management, brings strong leadership skills to the TASEZ board, particularly in the fields of project
and programme management, implementation oversight, financial management and procurement
strategies, transformation, and research, development and innovation.
His doctoral thesis was on An effective Public Procurement model for construction small, micro,
medium enterprises in South Africa.
Dr Mdadane is currently the accounting officer for the Gauteng department of infrastructure
development and property management.
He holds a number of high level degrees including a Master of Business Administration from the
Management College of South Africa, a Master of Science in construction management from the
University of KwaZulu-Natal and a Master of Philosophy in infrastructure design and development
from the University of Cape Town.

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

Dr Bheka Zulu

CEO
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Dr Bheka Zulu

Dr Zulu, who has a PhD in Leadership specialising  in the Ocean Economy from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, has been TASEZ CEO since August 2022 and brings with him vast experience in terms of business acumen, championing Port Operations/Logistics, Championing STEM intervention, IBSA/BRICS/IORA Bilateral/Multilateral Business Engagements at Government level, having served on the boards of the South African Maritime Safety Association (current), Moses Kotane Institute (current), and the South African Maritime Business Forum. He is also a qualified  Master/Captain, and him previous studies earned him a degree in Finance and Strategy, Master of Commerce (MCom) in Maritime Studies, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as an MBA focus on Entrepreneurship from Regenesys Business School.

Rebecca Hlabatau CA(SA)

CFO
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Rebecca Hlabatau CA(SA)

Hlabatau was previously the CFO of the Cross Border Road Transport Agency (C-BRTA) and Legal Aid South Africa respectively. She holds a number of degrees and diplomas, including a post graduate diploma in accounting science (CTA) from the University of South Africa (UNISA). She is also a qualified chartered accountant, holding the globally recognised CA(SA).

Andile Sangweni

Infrastructure Executive
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Andile Sangweni

Sangweni is the executive responsible for infrastructure with more than 18 years working experience across the construction industry & civil engineering disciplines. Among his qualifications, has a SMDP from Stellenbosch University, as well as an MDP from the same tertiary institution. Sangweni is registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa.

Msokoli Ntombana

Business Development Executive
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Msokoli Ntombana​

Msokoli Ntombana is currently the Special Economic Zone’s Business Development Executive and is also responsible for attracting investment. His Management Development Programme and Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management and MBA studies coupled with his engineering background and more than 25 years diverse experience working at various levels within the private and public sector have helped him create and develop a style of systematic, logical thinking.

His experience spans companies such as Transnet, BP, and the East London Industrial Development Zone.

Vacant

Corporate Services Executive