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Prof Setati honoured for her contribution to mathematics education
Prof Setati was elected President of AMESA in 2002, following two terms as Vice-President. Her direct contribution to what AMESA is today is a reflection not simply of her many years in office, but more significantly of the vision and innovation that characterised her leadership of the association. Her Presidency saw the association grow in numbers, with more teachers now taking responsibility for their own professional development through its publications, workshops and congresses. Her Presidency saw AMESA grow in its stature as an important voice in mathematics education in South Africa. The hallmark of her leadership has been injecting quality into the work of the organisation and its members.
She took on the task of managing editor of the AMESA journal Pythagoras, taking it to a new level of academic expertise. Pythagoras is now an accredited journal, with an established international board. Her capacity for leadership, innovation and excellence led to the initiation and launch of Learning and Teaching Mathematics (LTM), which recently published its 7th edition. LTM reflects the interests of classroom teachers. These two journals are key vehicles for disseminating ideas and developments in the field of mathematics education in our country.
During her AMESA presidency, Prof Setati set up and was the first Chairperson of SAMF, the South African Mathematics Foundation, which plays a critical role in fostering interaction between mathematicians and mathematics educators. Simultaneously, she was on the executive of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME), and the RSA representative for the International Commission for Mathematical Instruction (ICMI). This latter role saw South Africa represented in the ICMI executive, and served as precursor to the development of the AFRICME regional congresses for mathematics education in Africa. In all these roles, Prof Setati has been influential in setting direction and advancing the field. This is leadership at its best. It is thus no surprise that today she sits on the boards of a number of influential foundations. She is a director of the board of the Shanduka Group, Vice-Chairperson of the South African Board for the International Council for Science (ICSU), and a trustee of the Telkom and FirstRand foundations. In this latter position, she has pioneered the First Rand Foundation Mathematics Education Chairs Initiative that has resulted in the appointment of two new Chairs in Mathematics Education.
Prof Setati’s outstanding organisational leadership has occurred alongside her academic work and research. She holds a PhD in Mathematics Education from the University of the Witwatersrand, and is a C1-NRF rated researcher and member of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa (ASSAf). Her research focuses mainly on teaching and learning mathematics in multilingual classrooms, for which she has international recognition. She has already inspired African graduate students to continue their studies in this field with her as mentor and supervisor. Currently, she co-chairs the ICMI Study entitled "Mathematics education and language diversity".
Prof Setati served as founding Director of the Marang Centre, which recently received an NSTF award for innovation. She is full professor and Executive Dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at the University of South Africa. In addition, she is an Honorary Professor of Mathematics Education at Wits University, and Professor Extraordinaire at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Prof Mamokgethi Setati is a role model for excellence and leadership in mathematics education. An honorary membership of AMESA is a fitting recognition for the outstanding contribution she has made to our organisation and field. | 
