All our nominees have submitted their profiles for members to review. Please read about all nominees below so that you have the information required for voting at the AGM.

The EAPA-SA Voting Process 2017

  • A ballot paper with all nominee’s names will be issued, to registered members only, at the AGM on Thursday 21 September 2017.
  • Voting roll of registered members will be compiled from our membership database – members will collect their ballot papers on entering the AGM. Members will sign on the register to confirm that they have received a ballot paper. The register will confirm how many ballot papers were issued.
  • One ballot paper per member
  • At the allocated time during the AGM, the members will vote for 8 nominees by placing a cross next to 8 names
  • The ballot sheets will be collected
  • The Counting team are: The current President; President Elect; EAPA Admin and representatives from 2 registered service providers.
  • Manual counting of votes is done against each nominee name.
  • The verification of the count is done by the observers
  • The new Board will be announced at Gala Dinner on the evening of Thursday the 21st of September 2017.
Andiswa Lefakane

Andiswa Lefakane

Andiswa Lefakane is a qualified Social Worker and HR Practitioner with a Masters in SWK (Employee Assistance Programme). She is an executive Director and a shareholder at People’s Health Providers a primary healthcare and employee wellness organisation in Boksburg Gauteng. She is currently fulfilling the role of a Chairperson for the Egoli Branch of EAPA-SA (an association for Employee Assistance Practitioners) and thus a board member.

As a Social Worker, Andiswa has worked for organisations such as Kwa Ndebele government and NICRO she then acquired an HR qualification with the Institute of Personnel Management which diverted her career into the HR field. As an HR practitioner she has worked for organisations such as Unilever, New Age Beverages Pepsi, Mnet and SA Express Airways. She left formal employment in 2015 as a Manager for EAP, Change Management and Organisational Culture at Transnet. She is also a qualified coach.

She is also a staunch Christian who enjoys doing motivational talks to women groups and on radio. She has worked with SABC – Motsweding FM, Rainbow FM and Radio Pulpit for the past 15 years.

Bernie Roberson

Bernie Roberson

Mrs Roberson obtained her BA Social Work Honours degree and has 28 years’ experience as a social worker. She completed the UP Introductory Course to EAP and trained in Project Management, Trauma Debriefing, Mediation, Divorce Counselling, and HIV Programmes. She also managed Staff compliment and budgets and sourced funding for NPO projects.

She previously worked for: Excelsior Service Centre for Aged, Provincial Administration of Orange Free State, Uitenhage Child and Family Welfare Society and   PE Child and Family Welfare Society and specialised in Preventative and Statutory services.

Mrs Roberson also worked for PE Mental Health Society specialising in Community Development in rural areas of Eastern Cape and project manager for Protective Facilities for person with Mental Disability, Cancer Association of South Africa in Port Elizabeth, as Regional Manager for Western Region and Family and Marriage South Africa in PE as Supervisor and co-ordinator of the Community Development and Gender/Domestic Violence Team.

She became involved in EAP Programmes while working for FAMSA and worked for OCSA where she managed and implemented the EAP services at the Goodyear Factory. Mrs Roberson then moved to Induscare as they took over the Goodyear contract and continue to manage and implement EAP services

Mrs Roberson was involved in the Resurrection of the Nelson Mandela Bay Chapter in 2008 to 2009 and was Chapter Chairperson from 2010 to 2015.She received Board Member of the Year as well as Chapter of the year in 2013.

She has been involved with EAPA SA since 2010 and the Conference Organising Committee since 2012 and became Conference Organiser in 2015. She then proceeded to manage a successful conference at Lord Charles in 2016 and currently busy with 2017 conference at Emperor’s Palace

Mrs Roberson is currently working in the Private sector and managing an EAP contract in Uitenhage.

She has actively been involved in the EAP field since 2004 where she fell in love with EAP. Mrs Roberson is also actively involved in both the local Chapter and the Board and bring with skills, knowledge, commitment and dedication. She is committed to furthering the field of EAP.  And previously voluntarily assisted the board for almost a year when they did not have a secretary or office manager and is fully aware of the time commitments required to serve on the board

Joel Mzwandile Gumede

Joel Mzwandile Gumede

Mr Gumede’s academic achievements include: Bachelor of Administration with Industrial Psychology and Economics from formerly University of Durban- Westville, Honours Bachelor of Arts in Social Demography from the University of Pretoria, certificate in Economic Policy Formulation from Netherlands Institute of International Relation, Post Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership from North-West University and a number of short courses.

He has delivered papers in international and national conferences. Mr Gumede has more than 29 years of experience in the Public Service. He joined the Provincial Government under the Department of Finance as an Administration Clerk and grew through the ranks to the current position.  He managed projects in the Province, including HIV and AIDS coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Promotion of Human Rights.

Mr Gumede is currently serving in the Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal as Director: Employee Health and Wellness responsible for coordinating the implementation of Employee Wellness and Employee Assistance Programme in the Provincial Government.

His involvement in human rights promotion and in HIV and AIDS management developed passion to assist and support employees in the workplace. Mr Gumede was appointed as Director of Employee Health and Wellness in 2006 and the responsibilities include management of EAP programme in the entire Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal, and supporting other organs of state. He has been involved in EAP field for a couple of years and was appointed to chair the KZN Chapter of EAPA-SA in 2015 to advance its objectives and activities and is currently serving on the Board.

The EAP field in many workplaces has not been recognised as a profession. This means that EAP practitioners and professionals who are the face of the programme need to be fully capacitated to deal with all facets of the EAP field. It is believed that Mr Gumede’s work experience and passion could contribute to achieve the objectives of the Board.

Dr. Marion Borcherds

Dr. Marion Borcherds

Dr. Marion Borcherds has worked within the field of Employee Assistance for the last 20 years in both a senior manager and executive position. She is currently employed at Transnet as the Group Employee Wellness and Transformation Manager, managing the components of EAP, Absenteeism management, medical schemes and the HIV/AIDS Workplace programme as well as the transformation portfolio. She is a thought leader in the employee wellness space, having designed, implemented and managed EWP programmes for both government and para-statal over the years. She has participated at a number of local and international conferences such as the international Nursing summit, the International Health conference and the International Employee Assistance conference at which she has delivered papers on Integration within employee wellness, the strategic positioning of Employee wellness within HR, EAP as a behavioural risk assessment tool as well the Management of violence in the workplace, amongst others.

Within South Africa she has plowed back to the EAP profession by being actively involved in the EAPA-Egoli Chapter both as a Committee member and as the Chairperson from 2010 to 2012.She has served two terms of office on the EAPA-SA Board and previously occupied the portfolio of “Education” which includes research and publications.  Dr. Borcherds doctoral thesis was on the Management of Violence in the workplace and she has done extensive work in this space, assisting with policy formulation and the protection of dignity and respect for employees.

Isaac Koto

Isaac Koto

Mr Koto obtained the following qualifications: Master’s Degree in Social Work with a specialisation in Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), B A Social Work Degree, Advanced Programme in Organisational Development (O.D) and Public Management Development Programme

He has a total of 17 years’ experience in the field of EAP which started at the junior level while working an as EAP Therapist for Centre for Human Development in 2000. He later joined the public sector from 2002 to recent where he occupies a managerial position within the EAP field. He served as the EAPA-SA Jacaranda Chapter chairperson between 2010 and 2011. Mr Koto is currently involved with EAPA-SA board as Governance portfolio holder.

He has accumulated enough experience and knowledge to enable EAPA-SA to achieve its ultimate goal of being an authoritative body for EAP in South Africa.

Jimmy John Lenong

Jimmy John Lenong

Mr Lenong has obtained the following qualifications: B Soc. Sc. Hons (Psychology) [UNIWEST], B Soc. Sc. (Social Work) [UNIBO], B Tech Project Management [CUT), Management Development Program (MDP) (UFS), Certificate in Labour Law (UFS) and a certificate in HR in Higher Education (UP).

He worked for 5 years as a Social Worker at the Free State Department of Social Development and 3 years at the G4S Private Prison. He then moved on to become the Senior HR Practitioner EAP & Wellness at the Central University of Technology. He is currently working as the Deputy Director Employee Health and Wellness at the Department of Correctional Services.

Mr Lenong’s involvement in the EAP field started in 2001 when his then employer drafted him into a task team that initiated & crafted the Employee Wellness Service for the employees of G4S Private Prison. In 2003 he was employed to start the EAP component for the Central University of Technology. He was then employed by the Department of Correctional Services as a Deputy Director to initiate, coordinate and manage the employee health and wellness services for the Free State and Northern Cape Region. He is the Founder member of EAPASA Free State Chapter and served in different capacities from 2008 to date. Mr Lenong is currently the Chairperson of EAPA Free State Chapter (2015 to date), during which the chapter won Chapter of the Year twice.

Mr Lenong availed himself with a mission to see to  finish key projects that were initiated namely;  getting EAPASA to attain statutory status, expanded designations for EAPs, improved relationship between EAPASA and DPSA, getting EAPASA to issue CPD points and accredit CPD points providers, improved membership benefits.

When requested to serving for a greater good, He always steps forward to serve.

Dr Pravesh Bhoodram

Dr Pravesh Bhoodram

Dr Bhoodram has the following qualifications: BA (Phy.Ed.); UHDE; DSE (SMCS); B Ed.; MA (HMS) and Phd.

He is the first and only South African to serve on the International Work life committee. Dr Bhoodram is the FIRST from the African Continent to be awarded an International Special Recognition award for his contribution to the EAP field in South Africa.

He has been appointed onto the Global EAP task team. He has been consulted by 24 National Departments, Premiers offices as well as Provincial and local Government offices for assistance in developing and strategically aligning their wellness programmes.

He served two terms as EAPASA President from 2002 – 2005. As the President of EAPA South Africa he received a second international award at the conference in San Francisco.

He was appointed to serve as a council member on the Allied Health Professionals Council of South Africa where he was responsible for the Council’s Strategic plan and chaired the finance committee.

His thesis for his Phd in the EAP field is the first of its kind in a Correctional facility in the world. Dr Bhoodram chairs the advisory committee on curriculum development at the Tshwane University of Technology.

He was a Board member of the Leisure and Recreation Association of South Africa and has successfully hosted the World Leisure Congress in 2016 in South Africa.

He Is the Director: Employee Wellness at the Department of Correctional Services. Dr Bhoodram has been an EAPA-SA Board member since 1998. He has been responsible for developing the EAPA-SA constitution as well as having played a vital role in the ethics and standards documents

He is instrumental in awarding designations for EAP’s and has been involved in the development of the designations in South Africa. He has lectured to the Masters students on the EAP and is presently developing the EAP modules for a University.

He does life coaching and art therapy when he has spare time.

Dr Bhoodram hopes to serve his last term on the EAP Board. His institutional memory (having served on the Board for the past 20 years) will assist in guiding the Board in the next term.

Matlale Masemola-Thelejane

Matlale Masemola-Thelejane

Matlale Masemola-Thelejane(Ntebaleng) is an Employee Wellness Programme Manager at the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA. Matlale was awarded a Master’s Degree in EAP at the University of Pretoria after completing a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from the University of Limpopo. She has already committed to the profession and the work of the EAP for over a decade.

Matlale worked as a social worker in various Departments. After working as a Social worker for the, then Secunda Town Council, she moved to Bethlehem in the Free State Province to take up a position with the Department of Social Development. Her focus on EAP services deepened when she joined the South African Police Service (SAPS) Department in Ermelo.

She worked as the Assistant Director in the Employee Wellness Programme at the Department of Public Works, Mpumalanga. Key recommendations from a Departmental survey and needs assessment, designed and implemented by Matlale were used to inform the establishment of the EAP units in the Regions. She later published an article, “The impact of financial problems on productivity of employees of the Department of Social Services, Population and Development, Ermelo district” (The Social Work Practitioner-Researcher, 2006).

She served on various committees of the Employee Assistance Professional Association of South Africa (EAPASA). Matlale was a member of the Jacaranda Chapter in 2006. She later joined the Ikhala Chapter(2013 – 2014) as a volunteer where she was elected onto the committee with the portfolio of Marketing and Stakeholder Management (2015). She has also served briefly as Chairperson of the Committee (March-August 2017).

Matlale has a passion for South African youth and continuously seeks opportunities to contribute to the development of the EAP as an effective, attractive and inclusive field in the Wellness profession.

Radhi Vandayar

Radhi Vandayar

Radhi has obtained an MBA Degree and a BS Social Work Hons Degree. Her current positions are: Strategic L&D Manager, EAPA South Africa Board member and K&R HR Think tank member.

Radhi is currently an MBA mentor at Henley business school for the SA16 MBA class. She is also a member of the EAPA SA board as the current marketing portfolio holder. She is passionate about people development and therefore works within the Human capital space as a consultant on Employee wellness and for the last 15 years. Her current position at ICAS is Strategic L&D Manager. She has EAP clinical experience, business experience and consultant experience.

She has served on the board for the last 10 years in various portfolios and extra committees within the board. These committees (Africa; Standards; property; HR) were set up to drive the strategic goals of the board that could not be done within the board time allocation.

Radhi has been working with the current board to achieve certain goals such as becoming a statutory body, financial stability of the association and becoming an accredited learning association.

She would like to be part of the team that strives to achieve the above – especially the statutory status. Radhi knows the next president is passionate about this and wants to assist her in achieving this specific goal for membership.

Prema Naidoo

Prema Naidoo

Prema is currently in private practice specialising in Trauma in East London and provides mainly but not limited to the following: Counselling providing primary intervention and psychological screening and Training and workshops.

She is an executive member of the Ikhala Chapter. Prema was elected to provide services to the committee as a Secretary and assisted the current chairperson with the re-launch. She gained development by attending and coordinating with the committee, many CPD sessions.

These working experiences have helped her with her wellness skills and to provide further knowledge on trauma to EAPs, practitioners, managers in different fields as well as the everyday employee.

She has gained rich experience volunteering as an executive member.

Prema comes from a strong background in Psychology and would like to use this opportunity to reach out to other professionals in the field of Psychology.

She is the resident counsellor on Andiswa Mayekiso’s, Conversations with AndsM talk show on BayTV.

She has a passion for the field of wellness especially in helping people who have difficulties that significantly affect their functioning. It is this revelation on which rests her life’s philosophy: A person has not lived until he/she can raise above the narrow confines of his/her individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity (adapted from Martin Luther King Junior).  She is confident in her current capabilities and her potential to serve as a board member. Prema embraces the opportunity as a professional in private practice to add to the continuity of the existing board members values and ideas as well as to provide a perspective for new private practice members.

Premas’s considerable experience she has gained in her wellness journey makes her a suitable candidate as a nominee as well as the next board member.