Umalusi mourns death of Prof Peliwe Lolwana

Umalusi and its stakeholders said they are in deep grief after the passing of Professor Peliwe Lolwana. 

Lolwana was the last Chief Executive of the South African Certification Council (SAFCERT) and the first CEO of Umalusi, a position she held from 2000 until her retirement in 2008.

“She was at Umalusi on 24 November 2023 to give a memorable tribute speech at a memorial lecture and roundtable discussion organised in honour of the late Dr Fred Calitz, her SAFCERT predecessor. 

“Little did we know that she had come to say goodbye to all of us. While she reached her statutory retirement age over fifteen years ago, Prof Lolwana continued to serve her own country in various roles,” the Council said. 

Those include chairing the Board of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) Council, and playing various roles in academia, the NGO and private sectors. 

She has also been described as someone who played a transformational role in every position that she held, shaping the form and focus of all the organisations that she led.

This assertion is supported by the people who worked closely with her. 

Chief Director for National Assessments and Public Examinations in the Department of Basic Education, Dr Rufus Poliah, said the early 2000s “was an exciting phase, in that Prof Lolwana, a real visionary, was tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the transformation of SAFCERT to Umalusi”.

“The period between 2000 and 2008, saw Prof Lolwana transforming a certification Council into a quality assurance council, with all its legislative frameworks and procedures, and placing this structure firmly on the national education map.” 

In the words of Professor Moon Moodley, a member of the Assessment Standards Committee (ASC) of Umalusi: “Umalusi enjoys a high degree of independence that has been achieved over many years by commanding the respect of all stakeholders. Prof Peliwe Lolwana has played a crucial role in Umalusi’s gaining ownership of the standardisation meetings.”

Commentators said Lolwana conceptualised new quality assurance approaches, departing from those used during the SAFCERT era.

Having played various roles within the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) space over the years, Umalusi said the NQF family stands on the shoulders of a strong intellectual giant – those of Lolwana.

“Umalusi and its stakeholders thank the Lolwana family and friends for allowing Peliwe the time to shape how we understand education and training today. She has served her country so diligently. As Umalusi, we share in your sorrow. Her spirit, her wisdom and her dedication will never be forgotten,” the council said.

Lolwana recently retired as the Director of the Centre for Researching Education and Labour (REAL).

Lolwana continued to serve as a visiting Associate Professor in the Wits School of Education. – SAnews.gov.za