Brief biography of Madam Bongi Ngema-Zuma

Madam Gloria Bongi Ngema-Zuma hails from Durban, South Africa.  She became South Africa’s First Lady when her husband, Jacob Zuma, was elected by parliament and sworn in as the third African President of South Africa in May 2009. 

As First Lady of South Africa, Madam Ngema-Zuma provides leadership and participates on interagency councils in support of presidential community development programmes.  She covers healthcare awareness and rural and community development. While serving on these governing, advisory boards and executive committees, her focus is to engage all stakeholders around issues that are of importance to herself, President Zuma, and the people of South Africa.

Madam Ngema-Zuma has previously held roles at various organizations such as consulting firm Deloitte and Investment Bank, Standard Chartered and Merchant Bank (SCMB), and IBM to name a few.  In addition to marketing management, her broad working experience spans client relationship management, finance and investment consulting, channel and business partner management, and communications. 

In 2010, Madam Ngema-Zuma founded The Bongi Ngema-Zuma Foundation which addresses issues including health (non-communicable diseases with special focus on diabetes), education and rural development. The Foundation is the living embodiment of Madam Ngema-Zuma’s passion to create awareness about diabetes. She envisions no person should die because of lack of awareness about diabetes.  In the broader social context, the Foundation seeks to empower women and children, rural development, education and health central to diabetes and associated diseases.  The Foundation’s main thrust and emphasis are knowledge sharing and awareness about diabetes and interventions that demonstrably change the lives of the affected people.

Madam Ngema-Zuma has received numerous honors and recognitions.  She is a member of a variety of social and professional networks and organizations, including, International Diabetes Federation, Africa Heritage Society and Institute of Marketing Management (IMM).

 Governance Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the custodian of good governance of the Bongi Ngema-Zuma Foundation. It assumes responsibility for the decisions and actions of the foundation, including oversight on committees, programmes and initiatives.

The board of trustees has collective responsibility to provide effective governance and as such the Trustees must remain independent and objective, serving the interests of the Foundation and those of beneficiaries of its programmes.

 Chairperson of the board of Trustees 

Ms Jean Ngubane

To be provided.

Dr Siphiwe Mndaweni

Dr Siphiwe Mndaweni is the Chief of Party of the USIAD TB Programme, SA a project of the University Research Corporation.  She is a community health advocate who has been in the field of public health for nine years.

She previously worked as a National Coordinator for the South African Black technical and Allied Careers organization and was part of the Consultancy firm team that established the medical department of the Road Accident Fund.  She has worked as a medical general practioner and has done extensive work in the TB and HIV field, both Nationally and in Southern Africa which includes the implementation of the TB/HIV programme for the TASC-TB project of the URC, and regional Advisor for TBHIV.

She holds degrees in BA Biology (Knox College (USA); Master of Medical Science (Microbiology-Virology) (MEDUNSA); MBCHB and certificates in Healthcare management and HIV AIDS management.

 Ms Mpumi Maweni

Ms Mpumi Maweni is Chief Executive Officer of Phumelela Business Consultants, a recruitment agency she founded in 1997.  Her natural flair for entrepreneurship has driven the company to be recognised as one of the leading recruitment consultancies in KwaZulu-Natal, with branches in Empangeni, Gauteng and Cape Town.

Phumela Business Consultants was nominated as one of the Top 300 Impumelelo Black Economic Empowered Companies in South Africa for four years.

Ms Maweni has diversified business interests. She currently holds directorship of a number of companies that have acquired licenses to mine various minerals in South Africa. She also runs a mineral water bottling plant based in Umlaas Road near Camperdown. 

Ms Maweni holds a BCom degree from the University of Zululand and is a member of the Women in Business and Women in Oil and Energy organisations.

 Mr Bongumusa Makhathini

Mr Bongumusa Makhathini is Head of Strategic Programme Management & Integration at SAB. Driven by the desire to uplift and empower others, he supports numerous black South African students towards furthering their tertiary education. He also currently serves as President of the Convocation of the University of Zululand.

Mr Makhathini previously worked for Accenture, a leading Management Consulting and Information Technology Outsourcing group. At Accenture, he spent eight years in business consulting and strategy, increasing his network of business and government contacts. In this role, Makhathini managed complex IT and business transformation projects.

Mr Makhathini is an ardent fundraiser, able to mobilise resources towards the achievement of set goals. He is respected for his strategic implementations and for his ability to identify and capitalise on opportunities. A leader of integrity, he is focused on enhancing relationships to benefit communities through various empowerment programmes for students and communities.

 Mr Makhathini holds an MCom in Business Management & Economics from the University of Johannesburg; an Honours in Economic Geography and a B Paed degree from the University of Zululand.

 Ms Lebo Madiba

Ms Lebo Madiba is the Executive Director of Gillian Gamsy International Communications (GGi). Her communications consultancy experience includes roles as Managing Director of Chillibush Public Relations and Business Unit Director of Redline (a division of advertising agency DRAFTFCB).

With over 10 years in this field, she has been involved in providing communication strategic counsel services, media relations, government relations and reputation management.

Ms Madiba has worked for an NGO focusing on youth development, which later landed her on the task team that organised the first Gauteng Young Women’s Parliament for the Gauteng Provincial Government.

She was recognised by the Mail & Guardian Newspaper in 2007 as one of “100 Young South Africans You Must Take to Lunch”. Ms Madiba is on the judging panel of the ADmag Awards, which recognises excellence in magazine publishing. She is also a regular guest lecturer at the University of Pretoria.

 Mr Nathi Sukazi

Mr Nathi Sukazi is Head of Media and External Relations at Accenture South Africa. He has more than 12 years working experience spanning communications, journalism, brand systems, client relationship management and external relations. 

He was previously with IBM Sub Saharan Africa, where he held the role of Senior Manager for External Relations. During his five years at IBM, Nathi successfully managed media, analysts and stakeholder influencer relations programmes across the region.

Mr Sukazi was also selected as one of five Africans in 2009 to participate in IBM Corporate Service Corps, a global leadership development programme. There he was assigned to work on internal trade development in Egypt in October of that year.

Prior to joining IBM, Nathi worked briefly for Cell C as Media Relations Manager and spokesperson, following two years with Vodacom.

Before joining corporates, Nathi worked for four years as a Telecommunications, Media and Technology journalist for Business Report. Trained as a Financial and Economic Journalist, Nathi became the inaugural Telkom Technology Journalist of the Year Overall Winner (2000) and Siemens-CSIR Profile Awards – Telecommunications Category winner (2002). 

He mentors youth and participates in various community development initiatives.  He holds a BA Honours degree in English Wits University and has majors in Communications Science, Industrial Psychology and English – from the University of Zululand.

 Dr Nandi Diliza

Dr Nandi Diliza is a self employed entrepreneur in Medical Supplies and Consulting. She served from 2007 to 2010 as Deputy Director General, Clinical Management Services at the Eastern Cape Department of Health. In the role she was responsible for strategic management of service delivery in all clinics and hospitals in the department. She was also responsible for the development of policies and procedures for clinical care as well as general management of all health facilities including HR management, financial management and monitoring and evaluation of programmes and facilities.