Professor Wezile Chitha was elected as the new president of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for a term from 2025 to 2030. Professor Sindisiwe Shangase will serve as the council’s vice-president for the same period.
The newly elected HPCSA president, Professor Wezile Chitha. Image supplied.
Professor Wezile Chitha’s, the executive dean of the faculty of medicine and health sciences and associate professor of health systems and policy at Walter Sisulu University, leadership spans health sciences, institutional strategy, and transformative governance.
With a record in higher education and public health systems, Chitha has expertise in strategic planning, academic innovation, and stakeholder engagement.
He is a qualified medical doctor, health economist, and award-winning public health manager with experience within the South African healthcare environment.
He has had exposure to transformation opportunities, partnership governance, and the implementation of priority health programmes at primary, tertiary, and academic levels.
His experience includes work and collaboration with South African government institutions, the NGO sector, research institutions, and national and international universities.
He obtained his medical degree in 2000 and a master’s in public health (health economics) from the University of Cape Town in 2007, and most recently achieved his PhD in public health.
Chitha responded to his election, saying: “I am honoured by the confidence the council has placed in me and accept this responsibility with humility and commitment.
“I look forward to working with the council, Professor Shangase as vice-president, and the HPCSA management team to advance our mandate to protect the public and guide the professions.
“Together, we will strengthen the regulatory environment and support a health system built on integrity and excellence.”
Newly elected HPCSA vice-president, Professor Sindisiwe Shangase. Image supplied.
Professor Sindisiwe Shangase brings extensive academic and clinical expertise to her role as vice-president.
She has a strong record in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, providing patient care, and leading academically as associate professor and head of the Wits School of Oral Health Sciences.
She is an active member of the South African Society of Periodontology, Implantology, and Oral Medicine, contributing to specialised dental practice and research.
She holds a BDS in dentistry and an M.Dent in periodontics and oral medicine, which support her expertise in oral health sciences and her commitment to professional excellence.
The Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, welcomed the newly elected president and vice-president, saying: “We are delighted with the appointment of both the president and vice-president, and I am confident of their leadership capabilities to steer the HPCSA and deliver on its mandate as encapsulated by the Health Professions Act, 54 of 1974.”
