President Jacob Zuma announced the appointment of 25 new members for a period of five years to the National Planning Commission (NPC) in the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation on Thursday.

Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Jeff Radebe was appointed chairperson, while former deputy vice-chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand Malegapuru William Makgoba was appointed deputy chairperson.

Also appointed to the commission were World Wide Fund for Nature’s Global Climate and Energy Initiative strategy and advocacy head Tasneem Essop, Stellenbosch University Faculty of AgriSciences dean Professor Abdus Salam Mohammad Karaan, public policy and development planning specialist Dr Felicity Mahlati, DNA Economics chairperson Elias Masilela, University of Cape Town Department of Social Development head Professor Viviene Taylor, Telkom strategy head Dr Miriam Altman, Institute for Global Dialogue director Dr Siphamandla Welcome Zondi, JP Landman & Associates founder Johannes Petrus Landman, POB Environmental Solutions MD Dr Pulane Elsie Molokwane; Energy Exemplar senior consultant Jarrad Gregory Wright, medical practitioner Dr Ntuthuko Melusi Bhengu and Vaal University of Technology lecturer Professor Kholeka Constance Moloi.

They would be joined by Youth Lab director Tessa Gilda Dooms, Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect head Christina Marion Nomdo, Black Management Forum MD Themba Thomas Cyril Dlamini, City Insight partner Susan Muriel Brouckaert, Business Unity South Africa CEO Khanyisile Thandiwe Kweyama, University of KwaZulu-Natal former lecturer Jabulani Dennis Sithole, international policing and investigations expert Captain Frank Kennan Dutton, advocate Lekolota Abram Makua, Disabled People of South Africa chairperson Poppy Audrey Mocumi, Wits Business School resident executive Dr Thamsanqa Edmund Mazwai and MJT Consulting Engineers director Thanyani Ramatsea.

The panel would be tasked with promoting and advancing the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) across different sectors of society, undertaking detailed planning in several sectors and conducting regular engagements with various sectors of society on all matters pertaining to the long-term development of the country.

The NPC would be further mandated with facilitating stakeholder engagements aimed at forging a social compact towards more effective implementation of the NDP, undertaking research on long-term trends and analysing the implementation of short- to medium-term plans with a view to recommending improvements to government.

All reports produced by the commission would be used to inform policy and planning and contribute to the development of international partnerships and networks on national planning.
 
“We look forward to working with them to take this important process of implementing the NDP forward and also exploring new avenues for socioeconomic development in our country,” said Zuma.