​​​South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed three prominent Stellenbosch University (SU) academics – Prof Mark Swilling, Dr Morne Mostert and Dr Guy Lamb – as members of the National Planning Commission (NPC) in the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Their appointments are effective for a period of five years from 1 December 2021.

The NPC was established in 2010 and tasked with producing a national development plan and long-term vision for the country. It also advises Government on cross-cutting issues that influence the long-term development of South Africa.

The members of the Commission collectively have expertise and practical experience in areas such as finance, business, politics, labour, economics, sociology, technology, science, demographics and development. They are critical advisors to the government, providing recommendations in the interest of the long-term development of the country. 

Dr Guy Lamb

Lamb, a criminologist in the Department of Political Science, says his appointment as a commissioner (Justice and Security) in the NPC is a great honour for himself and his department.

“It is an acknowledgement of Stellenbosch University's Political Science Department being the top-rated political science department in South Africa. I am humbled by this appointment as it is recognition of the more than 20 years of work I have put into violence prevention, community safety and policing."

He says he will spend his time as a commissioner prioritising Chapter 12 (Building Safer Communities) of the National Development Plan and focusing on practical and affordable ways in which South Africa can become a safer country for all.

Lamb has undertaken research and published on arms control, violence reduction, urban safety, policing and peace-building issues in Africa for more than 20 years. He has served on the UN Security Council Panel of Experts on Liberia and was a member of the UN's small arms control standards expert reference group. He works closely with various government departments on issues of crime and violence prevention.

Dr Morne Mostert

Mostert, Director of the Institute for Futures Research, says he considers it a profound honour to be called upon to serve the country and society in this way.

“As a scholar and practitioner of Strategic Foresight, I am humbled by this rare opportunity to contribute at such an impactful societal level.

“My hope is to contribute independently-minded thought leadership on the quality of longer-term decision-making as we explore an alternative, more preferable future for South Africa. As a meaningful input to policy, such thought leadership must go beyond reactive responses to the noise of the day and contribute to a capable and ethical developmental state. Let us be honest: a degree of course correction is urgently required. The NPC must offer what the minister in the Presidency has called a 'torch of hope'. Such hope may be found in making higher-order strategic decisions for a more just society."

Mostert advises globally on futures-based executive decision-making and cognitive development for senior leaders. He has worked inter alia in Paris, London, Dubai, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur and several African countries. Subsequent to his PhD in the Management of Technology and Innovation, Mostert's areas of specialisation have included Futures Thinking, Strategic Thinking, Systems Thinking and Creative Innovation. He is the author of the influential book Systemic Leadership Learning – Leadership Development in the Era of Complexity, which has been the prescribed text for several international programmes on strategic leadership. He is a member of the International Labour Organisation's panel of experts on the future of work.

Prof Mark Swilling

Swilling is a Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Development in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Stellenbosch University, and Co-Director of the Centre for Sustainability Transition (CST). He also serves as Chair of the Board of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA).

He says during his tenure he would like to help the NPC generate an updated National Development Plan “that takes into account the harsh realities we currently face, as well as the rapidly changing global context shaped by the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 and the COVID-19 pandemic.”

He will be contributing evidence-based policy recommendations on a range of topics, with special reference to the energy transition, finance and the construction of a capable state.

Swilling is an international expert in sustainable development, with over thirty years’ experience in societal transitions (with special reference to urban systems), initially with a focus on democratisation and governance during the Apartheid era, and more recently within the wider discipline of sustainability studies at a global level.

He recently co-edited a new book on state capture. Titled Anatomy of State Capture (published by African Sun Media), a PDF can be downloaded for free at https://bit.ly/3FWbJIq​.