He has a career that spans 35 years ranging from teaching and lecturing, to initiating and participating in programmes for government restructuring and rural development at national, regional and international levels. The highlights of his career include running training programmes for government and community leaders in agricultural extension, community development, co-operatives and farmers associations in Swaziland and Lesotho. His career with the United Nations (1974-1992) includes an assignment with United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) as a rural sociologist, and later as Acting Director for regional projects in rural development in 16 eastern and southern African countries. He spent eight years at the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Nairobi, Kenya as member of a multi-disciplinary team assisting governments to design and implement training programmes and development projects for rehabilitation of ecologically degraded lands.
Prof has traveled extensively through many African states, Asia, and some European and Latin American countries. Upon his return to South Africa in 1992, he became Director and Professor, establishing the present School of Rural Community Development at the University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg). He was first appointed to the Commission in 1994 by then President Nelson Mandela as one of five national commissioners; and in January 1996 he was appointed Chairperson of the PSC and that of the new Commission (under the new Constitution, 1996) from January 1999. In January 2004, he was re-appointed Chairperson of the PSC for another term.