By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Dr Namane Magau, a fascinating, accomplished woman who was involved in stewarding so many interesting and important initiatives, from industry to society has passed away this Friday in Johannesburg.
Dr Magau was 70.
Deputy President David Mabuza in his capacity as the Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council, conveys heartfelt condolences on the passing of Dr. Magau, who served as an esteemed member of the SANAC Board of Trustees.
Mabuza recently appointed Dr. Magau as a trustee, where she played a key role in the implementation of a turnaround strategy towards a sustainable funding model for the South African National Aids Council – a role she played with passion and dedication till the end.
“We are grateful and indebted as a country to Dr Magau for the immense contribution she made in advancing our development aspirations. She selflessly used her skills broadly in a number of developmental roles, thereby making South Africa a better place. Her passing leaves a great void in the SANAC family, especially now as we intensify our policy in action efforts towards ending HIV and TB as public health threats in our country, said Mabuza.
Dr Magau held a Doctorate in Education from Harvard. She also served on the Board of Harvard Educational Review during her doctoral studies at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She was a Board Chairman of NTP and Bertha Gxowa Foundation.
She also served on the Nozala Trust Board of Trustees, UCT Graduate School of Business Advisory Board. Past boards on which she served include Murray & Roberts, Merrill Lynch South Africa and Santam. She was also a member of a women’s investment Group Tselane Energy which invests in the energy sector.
Her past management and executive roles include the senior management position at the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) as a Director in the Human Resource Policy division. From the DBSA she joined the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) as the Executive Vice President for Human Capital. After five years at the CSIR she became part of the executive team at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).