Professor Malegapuru Makgoba
Professor Malegapuru Makgoba – CURRENT ESKOM CHAIRMAN
Professor Malegapuru William Makgoba (born 1952 in Sekhukhune, South Africa) is a leading South African molecular immunologist, physician, public health advocate, academic and former vice-chancellor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and former President of the MRC (SA).
He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London; a Foreign Associate Member of the National Academy of Medicine (USA) and Fellow of Imperial College (London) Faculty of Medicine. The Academy of Science of South Africa awarded him the Science-for-Society Gold Medal (2002). He received The NRF President’s Life Time Achiever’s Award (2011) and The MRC President’s Award (2011), both highest honours.
He was recognised by eThekwini Municipality as a Living Legend; by the Academy of Science of South Africa as a Legend in Science and in 2013 ‘for his dedication and excellent contribution to the field of science and medicine, locally and internationally, and for his contribution to the building of democracy in South Africa. He is an outstanding academic and a pioneer in higher education transformation’, for which he was recognised by the President of the Republic of South Africa with the Order of Mapungubwe in Silver.
His work was recently (November 2019) Commended as follows:
‘[The judges of the John Maddox Prize] wanted to draw attention to the extraordinary contribution made over the past year by Malegapuru William Makgoba, acclaimed for his challenge to AIDS denial in South Africa, went on to expose and improve the treatment of mentally ill patients in South Africa.’
Sense about Science
Because evidence matters
He is the Deputy Chair of the National Planning Commission and non-Executive Interim Chair of the Eskom Board. He is the current South African Health Ombud.
Website Links:
healthombud.org.za/meet-the-health-ombud/
