About Zetu Makamandela-Mguqulwa

Established in 1996, Conflict Dynamics provides conflict management training and dispute resolution processes which are rooted in, and indigenous to South Africa, and which have nurtured and grown over the years. At Conflict Dynamics I coach and assess in the Commercial Mediator Training.  The course is accredited by the Dispute Settlement Accreditation Council of South Africa (DiSAC).

• I provide outsourced ombuds services for companies, educational institutions, and other organizations on a contract and/or temporary basis.
• Designing and/or managing an ombuds program or evaluating an existing one.
• Provide legal and general ombudsing counsel to existing offices. (Ombuds are not lawyers and do not require a legal qualification to perform their duties)
• I consult as an external ombuds on difficult cases, provide data analysis and report generation.
• I provide Mediation and other conflict management solutions to individuals or groups in conflict.

• Coaching leaders and executives to become better in the work they do in organisations. This is not always to remedy a problem; leaders benefit from an objective trusted advisor to process ideas in a safe and non-judgemental platform.
• Hosting Conversations/Facilitation and Training/Dialogue on Business Strategy, Change Management, Diversity Enablement, Gender beyond the Binary, Inclusivity and Belonging (DEIB) and other key business topics.
• Training on Mentoring and Coaching for Organisations to develop their own people organically.

• Build relationships on behalf of the IOA with Ombudsman professionals and those influencing the development of the profession.
• Monitor regional developments, changes, and needs, and provide a global picture to the IOA Board and its other Committees.
• Oversee the scholarship selection process to help ensure the IOA can reach professionals who meet the appropriate criteria in regions without adequate access.
• General coordination, oversight, and exchanging of information with the RACs, and ensure access of all IOA Committees and the Board to the RACs as the regional voices, networks, pools, and resources.

2020 was my 10th year of appointment as the first Ombuds at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa, and the first Organisational Ombuds in the Education sector in South Africa.

I am trained by the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlements as Mediator and by the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) in the USA as Ombuds and a Certified Ombuds thereafter. My office, since inception, established an Ombuds function at the University of Cape Town whose role had gained recognition and use by the diverse university community.

An Organisational Ombuds is a designated conflict resolution specialist to provide conflict resolution, problem solving and watchdog services to the appointing organisation. I delivered the ombuds function in accordance with the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) Standards of Practice viz. Independent, Impartial, Confidential, and non-formal.

An entity founded through the merger of three commercial companies owned by South Africa (pre-1994) government viz. Mossgas, Soekor and Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF), PetroSA is a National Oil Company and a Strategic Key Point.

My role included creating a united workforce and single identity through various Change Management and Transformation initiatives. These included Change Management Frameworks and Strategies; Stakeholder Engagement; Learning Services; Talent Strategies and Organisational Strategies.

The role was to fulfil the commitment that the Faculty had made to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission viz. To embark on redress and initiate organisational change that breaks decisively with past discriminatory practices.

We aimed to create an environment where UCT Health Sciences Faculty becomes an academic community with social conscience that responds to greater health, social and academic challenges. As Ombuds, I contributed to addressing conflicts and delivering of fairness in Faculty dealings.