07/06/2021
Congratulatory Message to Dr Martin Sehlapelo (Senior Lecturer)
Dr Martin Sehlapelo (DLitt et Phil), is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information Science at the University of South Africa. His academic interests include research methods mainly qualitative methods and grounded theory, information society, development, information and knowledge management, organisational records management, records management in the digital era, social impact of ICT, political economy of information, as wells as records management in the context of risk and governance. Martin teaches honours modules and supervises M&D students, has presented in national and international conferences and published journal articles and a poetry anthology. He recently completed a book chapter currently, on the utilisation of Grounded Theory in the information sciences. He has been requested to present methodology aspects in workshops targeted at M&D students. Dr Martin Sehlapelo has and continues to peer review the work of other academics and has been approached to act as an external examiner. He has a long-standing interest in practical research and has received Certificate of Merit from Wits University in 1993 for his studies in Psychology Research Design and Analysis and was awarded a research grant by the Ford Foundation to fund a study on psychometric testing that was published in an academic journal as well as presented in the inaugural conference of Psychological Association of SA.
In his position as a primary lecturer at the Unisa he teaches advanced information and knowledge management, and data curatorship and management. He is also a secondary lecturer for introduction to archives and record management and also information and knowledge governance, and supervises postgraduate students. Dr Sehlapelo sits on a few governing bodies supported by his qualifications and experience in general management, Information Management, Records Management, Information Technology Strategy, Corporate Strategy, Corporate Governance, Compliance, Corporate Administration, Enterprise Wide Risk Management, Security Management, and Strategic Foresight (Futures). He is a member of the Limpopo Premier’s Economic Growth Advisory Council and co-chairs it’s Technical Working Group responsible for ICT and Knowledge-Based Economy.
During his tenure as an ICT Executive Manager in Transnet, he was appointed a member of the Board of Trustees for the TransMed Medical Fund. Dr Martin Sehlapelo also held the position of Head of Corporate Strategy, Policy, and Research at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) in which role he led the strategy development activities of the corporation and managed the Office of the Chief Executive Officer. Before holding this position, he acted as the Head of the Department of Economic Development, Environment, and Tourism in the Limpopo Province. Martin grew into this position from his accomplished role as an executive in the Office of the Premier in Limpopo Province responsible for policy coordination and strategic planning as well as providing strategic support to the Director-General of the Limpopo Provincial Administration. During his tenure in this role, he led and coordinated the research and publication of the Limpopo 15 Year Review Document.
Martin Sehlapelo has been a key member of the Limpopo Province Information Society Committee. Martin conceptualised and implemented what remains the most innovative career path development for Risk Management and Information Management professionals in the health sector during the period he was with the Department of Health and Social Development as the Chief Information Officer (Chief Director). While in this position he spearheaded one of the most ambitious and successful electronic health programmes. Martin was also an active member of the National Health Information System of South Africa Committee, and the Working Group of the Presidential National Commission on the Information Society and Development. Before this role, he had spent almost two decades in the military of both the African National Congress/uMkhonto we Sizwe and the democratic South Africa where he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Among his roles was that of Directing Staff at the SA Army College and Chief Military Instructor at the SA Military Academy. Whilst at the PIC, he coordinated a major research on the 100 years of the organisation drawing from its annual reports.
Martin Sehlapelo has obtained the doctorate in Information Science (University of South Africa). He holds the Master of Information Studies (University of Kwazulu-Natal), Postgraduate diplomas in Information Science (University of Johannesburg), Defence Studies (Kings College, University of London), Strategic Management and Corporate Governance (Chartered Institute of Secretaries), the Presidential Strategic Leadership Programme (University of the North West/ SAMDI), and Futures Studies (University of Stellenbosch Business School) [Results received, awaiting graduation] as well as the Senior Management Programme (University of Stellenbosch Business School), Risk, Compliance & Governance postgraduate certificate (Wits University), and other numerous relevant short programmes. Martin Sehlapelo is an alumni of the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), an Associate of the Chartered Governance Institute of Southern Africa (CGISA), an Associate of the Institute of Risk Managers South Africa (IRMSA), a member of Information Systems Audit Control Association (ISACA), as well as a Chartered Director (SA) (IoDSA).
