​​ ​​Deputy Director General

 


 

 DR BONGANI ELIAS SITHOLE

 HEAD: NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE​


Dr Bongani Elias Sithole was appointed as the Deputy Director General- Head of the National Disaster Management Centre on 01 November 2022. Dr Sithole heads up the NDMC after a successful 10 years as a Head of the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre.

Dr Sithole served in the South African National Defence Force for several years, from Fire Services, Training as a specialist and Deployment-Operations. Before joining the former Gauteng Department of Human Settlement and Local Government in December 2011, Dr Sithole had 32 years' experience in Disaster Management that includes Fire Services and National Security matters with appointments which includes: South African National Defence Force and in the private sector. He is a United Nations Accredited Train the Trainer in the field of Disaster Management, Humanitarian relief, Civil –Military Relations and Conflict Related issues. The winner of the International Advisory Trail, as the Best Advisor and a Consultant, The Netherlands.

 

Dr Sithole holds several specialized military courses, Local government studies and  Public Relations. Graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma on Land Management and Informal Settlement Regularization from Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands and a Diploma in Crisis and Mass Disaster Management, Israel, 2016. He completed his Master's degree in Disaster Management and obtained his Doctorate Degree in 2015. Attended a highly specialized courses in Disaster Management focusing on the following: Remote Sensing Applications for disaster risk reduction from SANSA, 2015, Course in Livable and Sustainable Inner-Cities, Erasmus University and WITS, 2010, Corporate & Ethics Governance, 2009, Management Course for Development Practitioners, 2009, The International Advisory Course, The Netherlands, Course in Vulnerability Risk Assessment, WITS, 2007, Leadership for Democracy and Human Rights in Transition – UNU-ILI, Jordan, UN Civil –Military Coordination and Reintegration Course ,UN-OCHA, 2005, Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Course, Ghana, 2007. Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, Peace Building, Post Conflict reconstruction and Reconciliation process, 2007, Tanzania, African Civil - Military Coordination Programme, 2005, South Africa, Civilian Peacekeeping Course, 2005, Botswana, Complex Emergencies in the following countries: -France, Belgium

As head of the National Disaster Management Centre, Dr Sithole is entrusted with the responsibility to coordinate implementation of Disaster Management in the country and contributing to the global disaster risk reduction agenda.