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Centre for Environmental Rights – Advancing Environmental Rights in South Africa

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Meet the Team

Staff

Wandisa Phama

Wandisa Phama

Deputy Director

Wandisa Phama is the Centre for Environmental Rights’ Deputy Director. She is an admitted attorney who is passionate about human rights and social justice. She holds an LLB and LLM in Social Justice from the University of Cape Town. She is also an alumni of the Bertha Foundation Justice Fellowship. Prior to joining the CER, Wandisa served at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) at Wits as an acting co-deputy director, and headed the CALS Business and Human Rights Programme. With over a decade of work holding various roles in the Public Interest Law and Social Justice Sector, her work has included led litigating for the inclusion of community voices formulating the South African Mining Charter, the protection of the right to social security or access to social grants, holding the financial institution accountable for their role in human rights abuses of projects they finance and defending activists from victimisation and intimidation by private actors. While at CALS, Wandisa also taught a number of courses at the Wits Law School, including postgraduate courses in Law and Sustainability, Human Rights and the Market Place, and an undergraduate course in Environmental Law. Wandisa believes in using human rights-based solutions to challenge social inequality and to advance social justice struggles. She is committed to leadership development and the transformation of the legal profession and the broader South African society and creating resilient social justice institutions that value health and well-being in the manner they go about doing their work.

Wandisa currently serves on the Board of Ndifuna’Ukwazi and its litigation committee as well as the Risk Committee of the Centre for Environmental Rights.

Melissa Fourie

Melissa Fourie

Executive Director

Wandisa Phama

Wandisa Phama

Deputy Director

Brandon Abdinor

Brandon Abdinor

Climate Advocacy Lawyer

Lerato Balendran

Lerato Balendran

Head of Communications

Kim Blessie

Kim Blessie

Programme Administrator

Majury Chada

Majury Chada

Finance Manager

Adelaide Chagopa

Adelaide Chagopa

Candidate Attorney

Annah Chirwa

Annah Chirwa

Office Assistant

Sonia Chu

Sonia Chu

Human Resources and Office Manager

Linda Dlamini

Linda Dlamini

Candidate Attorney

Nonjabulo Doyisa

Nonjabulo Doyisa

Programme Administrator and Office Support

Leanne Govindsamy

Leanne Govindsamy

Programme Head: Corporate Accountability and Transparency

Thobeka Gumede

Thobeka Gumede

Attorney

Catherine Horsfield

Catherine Horsfield

Programme Head: Mining

Matome Kapa

Matome Kapa

Programme Head: Activist Support & Training

Gabrielle Knott

Gabrielle Knott

Attorney

Michelle Koyama

Michelle Koyama

Attorney

Paul Lado

Paul Lado

Attorney

Noriza Lamani

Noriza Lamani

Office Assistant

Khumo Lesele

Khumo Lesele

Candidate Attorney

Agnes Ludada

Agnes Ludada

Office Assistant

Nonzukiso Malima

Nonzukiso Malima

Part-Time Receptionst

Ntombi Maphosa

Ntombi Maphosa

Attorney

Danjelle Midgley

Danjelle Midgley

Attorney

Tarisai Mugunyani

Tarisai Mugunyani

Attorney

Tatenda Muponde

Tatenda Muponde

Attorney

Tefo Mxakaza

Tefo Mxakaza

Bookkeeper

Margo Newman

Margo Newman

Executive Assistant

Thami Nkosi

Thami Nkosi

Programme Administrator

Alice Nqoko

Alice Nqoko

Senior Administrator

Zahra Omar

Zahra Omar

Attorney

Tabitha Paine

Tabitha Paine

Attorney

Fadia Samuels

Fadia Samuels

Receptionist and Assistant Events Coordinator

Dimakatso Sefatsa

Dimakatso Sefatsa

Attorney

Michelle Sithole

Michelle Sithole

Attorney

Phumla Yeki

Phumla Yeki

Human Resources & Compliance Administrator