Sello Hatang's bio: Get to know former Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO
Sello Hatang is a South African archivist and the former CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. He was at the NGO for close to 15 years before his dismissal in June 2023 after employees complained about his conduct at work.
Source: Getty Images
Sello Hatang's passion for archival studies motivated him to pursue it as a career. He held various senior positions in several SA companies before his appointment to head the Nelson Mandela Foundation at 37.
Sello Hatang's profile and bio summary
| Full name | Sello Hatang |
| Year of birth | Around 1976 |
| Age | Around 47 years old in 2023 |
| Place of birth | Khuma, North West, South Africa |
| Current residence | Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Nationality | South Africa |
| Tribe | Setswana |
| Religion | Christian (Catholic) |
| Gender | Male |
| Sexual orientation | Straight |
| Marital status | Married |
| Wife | Thembi |
| Children | Son Tshego and daughter Lethabo |
| Siblings | Five, including sister Nnono |
| Education | University of Pretoria (BA in Education) |
| Profession | Archivist, philanthropist |
| Social media | LinkedInTwitterInstagram |
Sello Hatang's biography
Sello joined the Nelson Mandela Foundation in 2009 as the Manager of Information Communications. He was promoted to Chief Executive Officer in 2013 and held the position for about a decade until his dismissal in June 2023.
Hatang served as the Head of Information Communications and the spokesperson for South Africa's Human Rights Commission from 2005 to 2009. He was the Director of the South African History Archive (SAHA) from 2002 to 2005 and worked as a Project Archivist at the Department of Arts, Culture, Science, and Technology from 1998 to 2002.
The executive was on the editorial team for Nelson Mandela's 2010 book, Conversations with Myself. He co-edited Nelson Mandela by Himself: The Authorized Book of Quotations. In 2019, he was given the key to Florence, Italy, to acknowledge his leadership.
Hatang sits on the boards of the Open Democracy Advice Centre and SAHA. He is one of the founding members of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC) and is currently a member of the organization's Advisory Council.
Source: Getty Images
Sello Hatang's age and early life
Hatang was born around 1976 in Khuma, North West, South Africa, and is approximately 47 years old in 2023. He is the fifth of six siblings raised by a single mother and his grandmother. Sello is the first in his family to go to university. He lost four of his siblings, rendering only himself and his sister Nnono.
Sello Hatang's family
Sello Hatang's wife, Thembi, is a teacher, and the couple is blessed with two children. Their eldest kid is daughter Lethabo Hatang, while the youngest is son Retshegofaditswe Tshego Hatang.
Source: Getty Images
Sello Hatang's education
Hatang is a learned individual with several higher education qualifications. From 1994 to 1997, he studied BA in Education at the University of Pretoria. He did his postgraduate degree in Heritage Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand from 1998 to 1999.
He gained Records Management and Oral History Collection skills from the National Archives of South Africa from 1999 to 2000. He returned to the University of Pretoria in 2000 to pursue Communication and Leadership and later did an Orality and Preservation workshop at Michigan State University.
In 2017, Sello Hatang received an honorary diploma from Bueno Aires. He is also a 2014 Archbishop Tutu Fellow.
Sello Hatang's contact details
Hatang's contact information during his tenure at Nelson Mandela Foundations is as follows;
- Email: sellohnelsonmandela.org
- Phone: +27 115475600
Sello Hatang's latest news
Sello announced his intention to resign as the CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation on 2nd May 2023. However, before he could start serving his 3-month notice, he was placed on special leave to allow for investigations after employee complaints about his personal conduct at the workplace surfaced.
Source: Getty Images
Why was Sello Hatang dismissed?
After a thorough independent investigation, the board concluded that Mr Sello's behaviour was unacceptable for a person in his position. The foundation chairperson Prof Njabulo Ndebele revealed that Hatang would be summarily dismissed, although he did not detail what the misconduct entails.
After his dismissal, Sello released a farewell statement to the foundation. He thanked the board and the staff and revealed it was time for him to serve somewhere else.
The time, however, has come for me to carry the spirit of service beyond the foundation. The outcome of the investigation is truly unfortunate, thus in the immediate term, I will be focusing my attention on a matter that is vital to who I am and how I can continue to serve in the world, ensuring that my name is restored to reflect the person that I, and others, truly know me to be.
Who is the head of the Nelson Mandela Foundation?
Board chairman Professor Njabulo Ndebele heads the non-profit organization. The foundation appointed Professor Verne Harris as the acting CEO before they could find someone to fill the position.
Source: Getty Images
Sello Hatang has positively contributed to South Africa's history as an archivist and philanthropist for about two decades. However, his recent dismissal from a senior position is a major setback to his career, which had been on an upward trajectory.
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