Two Wits alumni bestowed with National Orders
- Wits Alumni Relations
President Cyril Ramaphosa gives highest honour to Dr Aboubaker Dangor and Professor Vhahangwele Masindi.
Dr Aboubaker “Bucker” Dangor (BSc Hon 1971, DSc 2005) and Professor Vhahangwele Masindi (MSc Eng 2022) were among the recipients of the 2023 National Orders bestowed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 28 April 2023.
Dr Dangor and Professor Masindi were each awarded the Order of Mapungubwe in Bronze, which recognises South Africans who have accomplished excellence and exceptional achievement to the benefit of the country and beyond.
Dr Dangor, a Distinguished Research Fellow at Imperial College based in the United Kingdom, was acknowledged "for his admirable and distinguished contribution to the field of science through his ground-breaking research in physics”. He could not attend the ceremony and his award was accepted by his grandnephew and Witsie Mohammed Raees Dangor (BSc Eng 2015, MSc Eng 2019).
In 2021 Dr Dangor received the prestigious Michael Faraday Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics for his contributions to experimental plasma physics and the development of the field of laser-plasma acceleration. In the eighties, Dr Dangor recognised the potential of relativistic plasma waves, driven by lasers, to accelerate electrons in a compact plasma medium and set about building the foundations of one of the strongest research teams in this area at Imperial College.
Dr Masindi has made huge strides in the environmental sciences focusing on water and solutions to the challenges of water scarcity in South Africa. He manages the research and development division for Magalies Water and is the visiting principal research scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an academic associate at the University of South Africa, an academic associate at the University of Edinburgh, and the subject editor at Water SA journal. He has previously won accolades such as the recipient of the Innovation award from the Department of Science and Innovation, Emerging Researcher award from the National Science and Technology Forum as well as Emerging Researcher from the CSIR, among others.
“As a researcher, I am motivated and humbled that my work and impact is recognised at a presidential level. Researchers do not work for awards, but to uplift and make a difference in societies through scientific interventions," Dr Masindi said.
President Ramaphosa also appointed new members of the National Orders Advisory Council, who will process nominations for future National Orders recipients. Several Witsies form part of this council: Dr Mandla Langa (DLitt honoris causa 2019, MA 2020), Professor Glenda Gray (MBBCh 1986), Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng (BEd 1993, MEd 1996, PhD 2002) and Dr Stavros Nicolaou (BPharm 1986, DSc honoris causa 2019).