Prof Zwelibanzi Mpehle, newly elected President of SAAPAM.
“This election provides external validation that the Department has quality academics in the discipline of Public Administration and Management, and it shows that our academics are recognised beyond the boundaries of the University,” said Dr Ricky Mukonza, Chairperson of the Departmental Research and Innovation Committee (DRIC) at TUT’s Department of Public Management.
Born and raised in Mamelodi, Prof Mpehle joined the institutions of higher learning as an academic in 2007, lecturing in the Public Administration/Management departments of University of KwaZulu-Natal. He is currently acting in the position of Head of Department (HOD) of Public Management in the Faculty of Humanities. He became a member of SAAPAM in 2007 and has not looked back since.
“My zeal to engage with other scholars, share views and scholarship philosophies in the field of Public Administration and Management inspired me to join SAAPAM in 2007. As a scholar, there is a need to publish researched articles in reputable journals in order to be recognised in the academic environment. SAAPAM serves as a platform where quality publication is promoted”, said Prof Mpehle.
SAAPAM strives to promote the art, science and praxis of public administration and management. This can be achieved through individual and collective research, teaching and learning. Furthermore, it caters for the academic needs of Public Administration/Management academic, scholars and practitioners.
In 2012 Prof Mpehle was Chairperson of SAAPAM in the Gauteng region in 2012 and has served as a National Board member from that year until now. He is also an Editorial Committee member and often reviews articles of the Association’s well-reputable journal called Journal of Public Administration (JOPA).
The President is part of the National Board, elected from among the SAAPAM membership every two years. The President, assisted by a Vice-President, chairs the National Board.
“My vision as the President is to increase the exposure of SAAPAM to public institutions, especially government institutions. Furthermore, we will more pursue the ‘provision of appropriate training and development’ of researchers in the Public Administration Discipline more vigorously, since it is one of our Constitutional Objectives. That will be accomplished through research and writing for publication workshops and seminars, focusing on emerging researchers,” concluded Prof Mpehle.