Boikanyo Moloto is an Industrial Sociologist and researcher with an MA in Industrial Sociology (Cum Laude). Currently, she serves as the Political Systems Researcher at My Vote Counts. Boikanyo’s previous affiliations include roles at the Centre for Social Change (University of Johannesburg), Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results – Anglophone Africa (CLEAR-AA), and the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR). Her work spans various thematic areas such as violence, violence prevention, democracy, social cohesion, youth inclusion, and governance.
With a goal to leverage academia for context-specific social change, Boikanyo is driven by the ethos of disrupting the status quo.
Website: https://myvotecounts.org.za/
Nicole Fritz is a prominent figure in civil society, having held executive roles at the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF), Freedom Under Law (FUL), and the Southern African Litigation Centre (SALC). She actively supports the Three2Six project, which provides education for migrant children, and currently contributes to Defend our Democracy. Nicole holds an LLB from Wits University and an LLM from New York University.
Her global expertise in human rights law is further demonstrated through her teaching and public commentary. A passionate advocate for justice, Nicole makes a significant impact in law, human rights, and social justice. Nicole has been actively involved in numerous global initiatives focused on international human rights law, humanitarian law, and public interest litigation. In addition, she has taught courses on these subjects in both South Africa and the United States and frequently provides public commentary on these topics.
Websites:
https://three2six.co.za/ http://defendourdemocracy.co.za/
Terry Tselane serves as the Executive Chairman of the Institute of Election Management Services in Africa (IEMSA) and previously held the position of Vice Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
With extensive experience in elections management, Terry has overseen the delivery of four National and Provincial elections, along with four Municipal Elections.
https://iemsa.co.za/
Dan Mafora serves as the Senior Researcher at the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC). He is also the author of “Capture in the Court: In Defence of Judges and the Constitution”. Dan previously worked as a candidate attorney at DLA Piper South Africa and served as a law clerk to Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga at the Constitutional Court. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Pretoria and is currently completing his master’s thesis research in constitutional theory at the University of Cape Town.
Website: https://www.sigrid-rausing-trust.org/grantee/grantee-1208/
Noncedo Madubedube, a Queer, Black woman of Marxist-Feminist background, is a pedagogist trained in Mathematics and Languages, and a passionate Social Justice activist. Noncedo is currently serving as the General Secretary of Equal Education, a youth-led movement advocating for the right to education in South Africa.
Additionally, she serves on the boards of the Health Justice Initiative and the Reading Panel 2030. With over 15 years of experience, Noncedo excels in organizing, popular education, coalition building, global solidarity, and international advocacy. She actively seeks out spaces that foster radical ideas, empowering people’s movements and pivotal moments.
Website: https://eelawcentre.org.za/
Thapelo Mohapi, born in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape and raised in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, is a passionate advocate for social justice and grassroots democracy. He is the General Secretary of Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement South Africa. Previously, Thapelo chaired the movement’s Briardene branch in Durban, showcasing his leadership and commitment to the cause.
His work as a senior organizer for Ndifuna Ukwazi, a Cape Town-based NGO that champions urban land justice, further highlights his dedication to creating equitable communities. Thapelo firmly believes that true political change in South Africa can only come from democratic grassroots organization. Additionally, he advocates for selfless leadership as a crucial element in combating the pervasive corruption that hinders the nation’s progress.
Website: https://abahlali.org/
Mazibuko is a co-founder of the Ntinga Ntaba kaNdoda rural people’s movement, serving as its Executive Director for a decade until 2019. He has a rich history of activism, focusing on HIV/AIDS, access to HIV/AIDS medication, liberation theology, LGBTIQA+ equality, participatory democracy, land and agrarian reform, agroecology, food sovereignty, cooperatives, and the solidarity economy.
He has guest-lectured at the University of Stellenbosch’s Sustainability Institute and was a Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. At the University of Cape Town’s Land and Accountability Research Centre, he researched women’s land rights under customary law. He co-founded and co-edits Amandla magazine and is the founding Board Chairperson of Oxfam South Africa. As the founding Chairperson of the Treatment Action Campaign, he successfully campaigned for access to ARV treatment for people living with HIV.
He was the National Director of the former National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality, securing LGBTIQ equality, reproductive rights, and full gender equality in South Africa’s 1996 Constitution. He also served as Chief Strategist of the South African Communist Party until his expulsion in 2010. Currently, he is the Founding Executive Director of the Zabalaza Pathways Institute, which collaborates with social justice movements to promote transformative, people-driven change, emphasizing ecological justice, economic justice, and deepening democracy.
Website: https://zabalazapathways.online/
Nontando Zintle Ngamlana is a dedicated social justice activist, seasoned development practitioner, strategist, and NGO leader. With over a decade of leadership, she currently serves as the Executive Director at Afesis.
Nontando has held various governance roles in the social justice and public sectors. Her research focuses on governance, democracy, and social accountability, with publications in accredited journals and book chapters.
Website: https://afesis.org.za/
