Page 12 - Annual Report A4

Message from

chairperson

am honoured to introduce this year’s
Annual Report which captures the

I progress made by the Research Chair
in 2019/2020. Gibela’s collaboration with

TUT is yielding good results in keeping with
DR BUYISWA MNCONO-LIWANI Gibela‘s mandate of revitalization of the
GIBELA CORPORATE SERVICES
EXECUTIVE Railway industry through inter alia Technol-
ogy and Innovation.

The Research Chair implementation programme has resulted in numerous research
papers being developed, filing of local invention of patents and solving of real world

problems and transfer of technology through special projects.

Year 2019/20 was a good year for the Research Chair led by the Steering Committee
with changes and good progress The previous Steering Committee members continued

to serve on the current steering committee. They created a plan to guide us and have
been building partnerships that will allow the research chair portfolio to exert a lasting and

positive impact. I am proud to have worked with a wide range of dedicated group of indi-
viduals. The steering committee continued to make great progress with our partners. We

want to recognise and thank Prof. Khumbulani Mpofu, the current Gibela Research Chair
and interim centre manager for the RMCERI, for his great stewardship during this time of

change. We’ve been constantly growing and learning through our involvement with other
partners such as the NRF, MerSETA and SEDA just to mention a few. Our success is the

country’s success. With the ongoing support of our donors, partners, steering committee
and volunteers, the Gibela research chair is ready to face the challenges and enjoy the

achievements ahead in 2020/2021.A big thank you is reserved for all our stakeholders for
their contribution towards the Research Chair’s success.

2 RESEARCH CHAIR IN MANUFACTURING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT