Mamokgethi Setati

Mamokgethi Setati
Mamokgethi Setati at a photo shoot
Born	November 1, 1966 (1966-11-01) (age 45) Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, South Africa
Nationality	South African
Alma mater	University of North-West University of the Witwatersrand
Occupation	Vice Principal Research and Innovation of the University of South Africa
Children	Tsholofelo Setati
Website
www.mamokgethi.co.za

Rosina Mamokgethi Setati (née Mmutlana, born November 1, 1966^[1]) is a South African^[2] Mathematics Education Researcher, Academic, Vice Principal Research and Innovation ^[3]and previous Executive Dean of College of Science Engineering and Technology of the University of South Africa. In South Africa she is well known for her outstanding work in mathematics development. In 2002 she became the first black female^[4] South African to obtain a PhD in Mathematics Education.

Early life

Rosina Mamokgethi Mmutlana was born in Eastwood, Pretoria to Frank Mmutlana and Wendy Mmutlana (née Thipe). Her mother started as a domestic worker and factory worker who went back to school after giving birth to all her three children to complete Form 3 (Grade 9) which allowed her to study for her Primary Teachers Certificate and practice as a teacher. Her father, Frank Mmutlana, was one of the first black radio announcers at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Her brother is Rufus Mmutlana and sister is Mmahati (Shosho) Mmutlana both of whom are graduates and successful in their own right.

Mmutlana started school in 1972 at Ikageleng Primary in Marapyane village where she stayed until 1973 while her mother was completing high school. In 1974 she moved to Ga-Rankuwa to live with her family and continued with her primary schooling at Ikageng Primary in Ga-Rankuwa. Throughout her schooling she never spent more than two years in one school and this was as a result of her parents search for a better school for her. In this period she attended the following schools; Tsela-tshweu higher primary; Tswelelang Higher Primary; Thuto-Thebe Middle School; Odi High School and Hebron.

She completed her matric (Grade 12) in the rural village of Hebron at the College of Education which also used to teach high school classes. Mmutlana was in the last group of high school students at Hebron College of Education and completed her matric with University Exemption in 1983. Mmutlana's love for mathematics was encouraged by Mr Motiang who was her Standard 5 (Grade 7) mathematics teacher at Tswelelang higher Primary School. By the time she got to Standard 8 (Grade 10) at Odi high school she was scoring mathematics marks in the range 80%–100%.

Higher education

She achieved a BSc in Pure Mathematics at the University of North-West,^[1] and a MSc in Mathematics Education at the University of the Witwatersrand^[1] followed by a Phd in Mathematics Education at the same institution.^[2]

Positions held

• Executive Dean of College of Science Engineering and Technology of University of South Africa^[5]
• Honorary Professor of University of the Witwatersrand^[6]
• Professor extraordinaire of Tshwane University of Technology^[7]
• Deputy Chairperson of National Committee for the International Mathematics Union ^[8]
• Trustee of FirstRand Limited Foundation ^[9]
• Trustee of Telkom SA Foundation ^[10]
• Board Member of South Africa, International Council for Science Board ^[11]
• Managing Director of Pythagoras^[1]

Personal life

Mamokgethi Setati was married to Richard Setati for 19 years (1988–2007) and they had one son^[12] Tsholofelo who was born in 1990. Since the divorce in 2007 Kgethi has been living with Tsholo her son who is currently a University student. Besides growing up in Marapyane and Ga-Rankuwa, Setati has also lived in Mmabatho (while a student at Unibo), Carletonville, Fochville, Midrand, Centurion and Johannesburg. She is widely traveled and has visited all continents with the exception of the Antarctica. As a young person Setati was an amateur tennis player and dancer. She continued with ballroom and Latin American dancing when she went to University and even participated in competitions. While she no longer dances professionally she occasionally takes on the floor to do some salsa if there is a fluent male salsa dancer. Setati is an avid reader and lists the following books as among her best: The Algebra of Infinite Justice (Andurati Roy); The end of poverty (Jeffrey D Sachs), Big men, little people: Encounters in Africa (Alec Russel); Outliers (Malcolm Gladwell) and Infidel (Ayaan Hirsi Ali).

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Mamokgethi (Kgethi) Setati". Who's Who SA. http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/user/4688. Retrieved September 1, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Professor Mamokgethi Setati, PhD". South African PHD Project. http://www.phdproject.co.za/mamokgethi.htm. Retrieved September 1, 2010. 
3. ^ "Unisa Online - Executive management". University of South Africa. http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=15090. Retrieved August 1, 2011. 
4. ^ [www.wits.ac.za/alumni/news/features//12726/convocation.html "convocation"]. Wits University. www.wits.ac.za/alumni/news/features//12726/convocation.html. Retrieved August 1, 2011. 
5. ^ "Prof Mamokgethi Setati – Executive Dean: College of Science, Engineering and Technology". Unisa Online. http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=22750. Retrieved June 6, 2010. 
6. ^ "Ass.Prof Mamokgethi Setati". University of the Witwatersrand. Wits Marketing. http://web.wits.ac.za/Academic/Humanities/Education/Marang/People/MamokgethiSetati.htm. Retrieved August 30, 2010. 
7. ^ "Prof Mamokgethi Setati". International Commission on Mathematics Instruction. http://www.icmi-21.co.za/index.php?page_id=145&project_id=11&project_location=projects7. Retrieved August 30, 2010. 
8. ^ "200 Young South Africans You Must Take to Lunch: Education & Science". Mail & Guardian Online. June 14, 2007. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2007-06-14-education-science. Retrieved September 1, 2010. 
9. ^ "Profile of Trustees". FirstRand Foundation. http://www.firstrandvolunteers.co.za/live/content-layout.php?Item_ID=1258&Category_ID=33. Retrieved September 1, 2010. 
10. ^ "200 Young South Africans You Must Take to Lunch: Science". Mail & Guardian Online. June 26, 2008. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-06-26-young-south-africans-science. Retrieved September 1, 2010. 
11. ^ Karolia, Sameerah (August 19, 2010). "The problem solver". Mail & Guardian Online. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-08-19-the-problem-solver. Retrieved September 1, 2010. 
12. ^ "Setati, Mamokgethi". The Little Black Book. http://www.littleblackbook.co.za/factsheet.aspx?name=Setati,%20Mamokgethi. Retrieved September 1, 2010. 

Persondata
Name	Setati, Mamokgethi
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	November 1, 1966
Place of birth	Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, South Africa
Date of death
Place of death