Alumni in the spotlight October 2022
- Wits Alumni Relations
Catch up on a wrap of Witsie awards, appointments and newsmakers from the past month.
Awards
Dr Mandla Langa (DLitt honoris causa 2019, MA 2020) won the University of Johannesburg Prize for 2022 for his novel The Lost Language of the Soul (Picador, 2021). 
The novel originated as part of Dr Langa’s master’s in creative writing at Wits, with fellow Witsie Ivan Vladislavic (BA 1978, BA Hons 1979) as his supervisor.
Rhodes University bestowed the honour of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) on journalist and anti-apartheid activist, Thenjiwe Mtintso (BA 1997, MM 1999) in recognition and celebration of Mtintso’s long and sustained contribution as a dedicated freedom fighter and a committed gender activist.
Gabriella Blumberg (BA FT 2012) won the Alumni of the Year Award at the 2022 PIEoneer awards held earlier in September in London. The awards honour "innovation and achievement across the global education industry. With a distinguished judging panel representing geographical and professional diversity, the awards recognise both individuals and organisations who are pushing professional standards, evolving their engagement or redefining the international student experience".
George Konidaris (BSc 2000, BSc Hons 2001), CEO of Realtime Robotics, was awarded Gold Medal at 2022 Merit Awards for Technology in Robotics category. The awards recognise global industries and the markets they serve.
Professor Yahya Choonara (BPharm 2002, MPharm 2004, PhD 2009) was awarded the 2022 FIP Distinguished Pharmaceutical Science Award from the Bureau of the International Pharmaceutical Federation in recognition of his outstanding research and significant contributions to the pharmaceutical sciences globally.
Research Professor and founding director of the South African Medical Research Council, Professor Karen Hofman (MBBCh 1978), was awarded a Gold Medal by the Academy of Science of South Africa for “outstanding achievement in scientific thinking for the benefit of society”.
Onesimo Mtintsilana (BSc Hons 2018) was the second runner-up in the national leg of the International FameLab Science Communication Competition. She is a particle physicist and the student representative for the Women in Physics in SA Forum and is also a tour guide at CERN (European Council for Nuclear Research) in Switzerland, where she introduces people to this multinational particle physics research institute’s mission and achievements.
Appointments
Professor Thabo Legwaila (LLB 1999, LLM 2000) has been appointed as acting Tax Ombud, for a period of three months. He joined the Office of the Tax Ombud as CEO in April 2020. He was previously employed as head of tax at the Africa division of Citi Bank. During that time, he also joined the University of Johannesburg on a part time basis as professor of tax law. Before then, he was employed as director: business tax within the Tax and Financial Sector Policy Division of National Treasury.
Justice Sharise Weiner (BA 1976, LLB 1977) has been appointed as a judge to the Supreme Court of Appeal. 
Deputy Chief Justice, Judge Mandisa Maya, who chaired the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) interviews, described her as an “experienced, hardworking, efficient judge … committed to transformation and the mentoring and training of women and young upcoming lawyers”.
MTN South Africa has appointed Wanda Matandela (MCom 2017) as chief commercial operations officer. In his new portfolio, he will lead MTN’s transition from a telecommunications company to a technology company in line with its 2025 strategy.
Industrial Development Corporation executive Reginald Demana (BSc Eng 1997) has been selected as the new CEO of the SA National Roads Agency. Demana was previously CEO of coal mining group Wescoal (now Salungano).
Andrea Moz (BCom 1991) CEO at Auto Industrial Group and NAACAM vice president, was appointed to the board of the South African Institute of Foundrymen. He qualified at Ernst and Young as a CA. He first joined Auto Industrial Group in 1994 as group financial manager and then chief executive in 2006.
Dr Anthony Verco (MBBCh 1990) was appointed as chief medical officer at preclinical drug company Maxwell Biosciences in the US. He has over 25 years of international biotech and pharmaceutical experience, with a specific focus on early-stage drug development and operational oversight.
Warwick Taylor (BSc 1989, PDipEd 1989) was appointed as new college rector and headmaster of St Dunstan’s College. He’s taught science at Parktown Boys High, and was the head of the science department at King David as well as St John’s College. He was executive head of Saheti School since 2014.
Newsmakers
In early 2020 Professor Lyn Wadley (PhD 1987) found what is believed to be the oldest bedding in the world at the Border Cave between Eswatini and KwaZulu-Natal. 
She also discovered that ancient humans cooked starchy vegetables much earlier than initially thought 170 000 years again. Now she’s analysed 23 spatula-like bones found in the Sibudu Cave near Ballito. The bone tools were analysed and are believed to be used for debarking trees and digging in humus-rich soil.
Dr Neal Stacey (BSc Eng 2009, PhD 2016) tested the veracity of claims about magic mushrooms.
Dr Wendy Stevens (MBBCh 1989, MM 1996) chatted to Spotlight about following science and swimming against the stream. A global leader in HIV and tuberculosis laboratory medicine, Dr Stevens is known to fight for the integrity of science in a health system riddled with political interference – most recently during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alan Hirsch (BA Hons 1978), founder and director of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town, shared how we should be thinking about debates around migration.