According to him, the contribution of his research would add to the body of work in student affairs and leadership development. “The framework for evaluating SLDPs will help HEIs to justify the worth of the programmes they offer. Furthermore, the study gives first-hand understanding of the experiences of both students and leadership educators involved in the programmes. This study is significant, since it establishes what hardships and challenges student affairs professionals experience when delivering the programmes. The information may be used for the planning and review of the programmes offered by the institutions,” Dr Xaba said.
Dr Xaba was born in Kwa-Thema, a township located in the city of Ekurhuleni in the Gauteng Province. He started his schooling at Muzomusha primary school, Zamani primary school and then matriculated at Kenneth Masekela Senior Secondary School. His academic qualifications include a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship from TUT, a B-tech in Corporate Administration and National Diploma in Company Administration from Technikon Witwatersrand. He has also received advanced training in Corporate Governance and Ethical leadership from Wits University Graduate School of Business Administration and the University of Pretoria.
He is the currently the Chairperson of the Hospital Board at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital and a member of the Vuselela TVET College Council, where he holds the Deputy Chairperson role of Council. Dr Xaba was a member of the Ekurhuleni East TVET College, where he served for two terms as the Deputy Chairperson and the chairperson of the Audit and Risk Committee. He was a member of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Council for two terms and served as the chairperson at the university’s Institutional Forum (IF) for two terms as well. As a shop steward, he represented the union in the TUT bargaining forum for 14 years. He served the union in various capacities, as a branch secretary, regional chairperson, member of Provincial Executive Committee, a member of the Central Executive Committee and a member of the National Task Team in Higher Education. Dr Xaba had the privilege of serving in the Board of the NEHAWU National Provident Fund (NNPF) as a member of the investment committee and was interim chairperson during this period.
In addition to his many accolades, Dr Xaba is a respected member of the Student Affairs Community. He is a former President of the National Association of Student Development Practitioners (NASDEV), a position he served in for three full terms. He is part of the international experts who were exclusively invited to make an intellectual contribution to the Biennial Student Affairs Global Summit organised by International Association of Student Affairs and Services (IASAS). Furthermore, Dr Xaba is one of the regular advisors in the University Student Symposium organised by the Humanitarian Affairs (HA), in partnership with the United Nations (UN). He is the author of one paper published in peer-reviewed academic journals and has had a privilege of presenting in international peer-reviewed conferences.
Two research articles have been produced from his doctorate research. The manuscript entitled "Experiences of Student Affairs Professionals in Facilitating Co-curricular Leadership Development Programs in South African Universities" has been accepted for publication by the International Journal of African Higher Education (IJAHE). The manuscript will be published in Vol 8, Issue 2 or Issue 3 in 2021. Another manuscript entitled” The Effectiveness of Student Leadership Development Programs: Insights from South African Universities” has been submitted to the Journal of Student Affairs in Africa (JSAA). The paper is currently under review.