Staff
Back row: Prof David Everatt | Graeme Gotz | Sizwe Phakathi
Front row: Adele Underhay| Disemelo (Sammy) Masehe | Annsilla Nyar | Chris Wray
Professor David Everatt, Executive Director of the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO), has over 17 years of experience in applied socio-economic and development research, designing and implementing monitoring systems, and programme evaluation. He has managed and/or participated in over 300 development projects, primarily in Africa. He was responsible for path-breaking research into youth marginalisation and out-of-school youth in South Africa in the early 1990s; his research into political violence was quoted by Nelson Mandela at the UN; he was the chief evaluator of the South African Constitutional Assembly between 1995 and 1997; and has served on successive ANC election polling teams since 1994 until the present. David designed civic education programmes in Kenya and Uganda, and led the Advisory Team reviewing Kenya’s Governance, Justice, Law and Order Sector (GJLOS) Reform Programme. He also headed a 2-year study of sustainable livelihoods in the 21 poorest nodal areas in South Africa. He was Vice-President (sub-Saharan Africa) for the ‘Sociology of Youth’ committee of the International Sociological Association for 10 years, and now sits on their Advisory Board. David has published five books and his articles have appeared in local and international journals. David is (happily) married with two (wonderful) children.
Sammy is currently employed by GCRO as a Receptionist. She runs a resource centre (for GCR relevant documents, reports and publications) and works as an events coordinator. Sammy started at Eldo Coaches as a receptionist and coach hire consultant, before moving to Freight Company in Linbro Park, where she was later promoted to an export and import clerk. After two years Sammy joined an NGO where she worked as a receptionist/events coordinator, and was responsible for a resource database & publication sales.Sammy is currently studying her second year of a BA Degree in Psychology with Wits Plus, and hopes to follow up with an Honours degree.
Graeme is currently Director: Research at the Gauteng City Region Observatory. In this capacity Graeme is responsible for working with a group of Senior Researchers, to configure and drive the research agenda of the Observatory. Graeme has previously worked as a researcher, consultant, and strategy development specialist. Until June 2009, Graeme was a Specialist: Strategy & Policy in the Central Strategy Unit, Office of the Executive Mayor, City of Johannesburg. He developed a number of strategies including the 2006 Growth and Development Strategy and the 2007 Inner City Regeneration Charter. Before joining the City he was a consultant for four years, specializing in local government and urban development. Between 1997 and 2001 he was a member of staff at the Graduate School of Public & Development Management (P&DM), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, serving as Manager of the Local Government Programme, lecturer for the Public & Development Management MM, and convener of the MM: Local Governance and Development. In 1995 and 1996 he worked as a researcher at the Centre for Policy Studies. Graeme’s academic focus falls within the areas of city development and urban renewal, urban economic development, local government, government strategy, institutional development, intergovernmental relations, state theory and ‘governmentality’.
Annsilla Nyar is an academic, writer and development activist who focuses on development issues related to civil society, human rights and social justice. She has substantive experience in project management; research and information programmes; and campaigning and advocacy. She is a skilled writer and political commentator. She is a contributor to leading media networks as well as a long term columnist for the Independent Newspapers media group. Annsilla’s experience straddles civil society, academia and applied research. She is experienced in proposal writing, reporting, fundraising, managing and training team members, and coordinating project management activities, and across multiple countries. She has practical experience of using participatory and qualitative data collection methods. As a writer and media/communications specialist she is skilled in synthesizing complex information and presenting it in formats accessible to diverse audiences. Annsilla is currently reading for a doctoral degree at University of Johannesburg, on the role of private philanthropy in democracy-promotion work in South Africa.
Sizwe Timothy Phakathi, Senior Researcher at the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO), is a Commonwealth and Oxford PhD scholar with over 10 years of experience in designing and conducting applied socio-economic and policy-oriented research as well as workplace studies. Before studying at Oxford, Sizwe worked in research organisations in various capacities. These include the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), the Centre for HIV/Aids Networking (HIVAN) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Sociology of Work Unit (SWOP) at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he was actively involved in DeepMine, FutureMine and CoalTech 2020 collaborative research projects conducted under the auspices of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). In 2003, Sizwe’s journal paper on Underground Work Teams in a South African Deep-Level Gold Mine was selected as the “Most Outstanding Journal Paper” in the 2002 volume by the Editorial Team of the Journal Workplace Learning. He was subsequently awarded the Emerald Literati Club Award of Excellence at the Lords Cricket Grounds in London, England. Sizwe has authored and co-authored a number of research reports, conference presentations, peer-reviewed journal articles, monographs and book chapters. He intends publishing his Oxford PhD thesis, Gold Miners' Production Bonus System and Informal Work Practices in a South African Deep-Level Gold Mine, as a book.
Adele Underhay is currently employed by the GCRO as Senior Finance and Administration Manager. She started her career in banking, before moving to a position as Senior Admin Clerk at a Primary School. She then spent twelve years managing the finances for Consulting and Geotechnical Engineers in Rivonia. Adele has been at the University of the Witwatersrand in various positions since August 2000. Adele was involved with the i-Wits Oracle projects for three years. This project was formed to revamp the Finance, HR and Student Systems at Wits into one integrated system.Adele is a member of Council and Senate at the University and serves on various committees representing Support Staff. Adele has been married for over 30 years and has three grown up sons and is a grandmother. She is an avid orchid grower and enjoys riding pillion on an 1100 BMW tourer.
