CER - Key Persons
Nomvula Agnes Ludada was born in Bedford, Eastern Cape in 1965 as the youngest of seven children. She attended Kuyasa High School before moving to Cape Town in 1986, where she worked as a jewellery maker for 26 years until the company that employed her was closed. Agnes joined the Centre in mid-2017. She has two children and enjoys attending church on Sundays as well as running and playing tennis in her spare time.
Alice graduated from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 2009. While studying, she was part of a group that started the Ulutsha Olukhathalayo youth organisation focused on music and drama. She was also involved with an organisation called Beyond Expectations Environmental Project (BEEP), which focused on the importance of caring for the environment. Alice's work experience includes stints at Edcon Ltd, African Bank Ltd and HomeChoice (Pty) Ltd and, before joining the CER, she also worked for Inclusive Education South Africa, where her passion for the NGO sector was realised. Alice joined CER in September 2017 and looks forward to growing in her role as a Senior Administrator.
My name is Lakele Annah Chirwa. I was born in Driemanskap, Nigel in Gauteng Province. After completing my matric I enrolled in a BA course at Unisa. From 2001 to 2003 I was employed as a part-time data capturer at Unisa then in 2007, I joined the South African Medical Association as a cleaner. In 2021, I joined the Centre for Environmental Rights as a part-time office assistant.
I am married, with three kids, and in my spare time, I enjoy cooking, going to church, reading, and physical fitness.
Armando holds a BBA from UVM (Mexico) and an MBA from UCT's Graduate School of Business. He joins the Centre's Corporate Accountability & Transparency Programme as a climate finance and sustainability researcher helping in the efforts to advance environmental and climate justice and promote institutional accountability and transparency. Prior to joining the CER, Armando worked as an investment officer for the World Bank Group focusing on financial institutions in multiple regions from Latin America to Eastern and Southern Africa. He also has experience in social development and project management.
In his free time, Armando enjoys hiking, cycling, night photography, weightlifting, wildlife watching and sci-fi novels. He is passionate about community outreach, environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation.
Brandon joined the CER as a Climate Advocacy Lawyer in 2021. He obtained an LLB from University of the Witwatersrand and was admitted as an attorney in 1998 after serving articles at Routledges Incorporated in Johannesburg. He went on to fulfill various management and legal roles in the corporate sector before opening his own legal and consulting practice in 2018, focusing on dispute resolution and sustainability matters.
Brandon became aware of the extent of the environmental crisis in the early 2000's, which led him to introduce climate change response and general sustainability initiatives into the organisations he was leading at the time. Some of these efforts culminated in the greening of a corporate head office, the formulation of energy-efficient building standards for the construction industry, climate change awareness training, and standing engagement on the Durban Climate Change Partnership.
Most recently Brandon acted as first a board member, then consulting associate at Earthlife Africa, which saw him design and deliver legal rights training for grassroots communities, as well as provide legal support on various environmental campaigns.
For fun, he enjoys yoga, the outdoors, and reading about and engaging with how we can create a more generative world.
Catherine was admitted as an attorney of the High Court in 1998. From 2002 to 2011 she practised as a partner in a litigation and commercial practice. Drawn to impact litigation in the public interest, Catherine resigned her partnership in late 2011, continuing to practise as a consultant until early 2012. She joined the Centre in February 2012 and heads its Mining Programme, which seeks to promote transparency, public participation, accountability and compliance with environmental laws and licences in the mining industry. Through more accountable and effective governance, and greater accountability of corporates, the programme seeks to address violations of environmental rights of mining-affected communities.
Danjelle has experience in the water, waste, air quality, biodiversity and coastal sectors as well as customary and administrative law. She is passionate about environmental justice and the realisation of the Constitutional right to an environment that is not harmful to health or well-being.
Dimakatso earned her LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand. She began her career at the Association for Water and Rural Development (AWARD), an NGO specialising in multidisciplinary, research based project implementation aimed at addressing issues around sustainability, inequality and poverty. Dimakatso's work at AWARD involved a great deal of independent research and required initiative and self-motivation. Importantly, it made her appreciate the role that local people have to play in addressing issues around water security, poverty reduction and ensuring sustainability of natural resources. She built on this experience as a researcher at the Free State High Court where her main role was to provide professional legal research to Judges.
Dimakatso joined CER in May 2020, and hopes to contribute to CER's mission of defending the rights of communities and civil society organisations to an environment that is not harmful to health or well-being, for present and future generations.
Job Titles:
- Centre As the Receptionist and Assistant Events Co - Ordinator
- Receptionist and Assistant Events Coordinator
Fadia joined the Centre as the Receptionist and Assistant Events Co-ordinator on 1 April 2014. She studied Events Management and although she has worked at other places before, it is here at the Centre that she is able to put into practice what she has learnt. She is looking forward to growing with Centre and learning from each of the members of this organisation. She is honoured to have been given the opportunity to be working with such amazing, hardworking and passionate people. She loves to sing, dance and read and believes that one should have a good balance of life.
Gabrielle holds a BSc LLB from Rhodes University and an LLM in Energy and Natural Resources Law from Queen Mary University of London. With experience working on gas projects in the management consulting, development finance and intergovernmental spaces, she joined the Centre for Environmental rights in September 2021 as a specialist gas attorney.
Since completing her articles at Eversheds Sutherland, Gabrielle's passion and personal interests have been in clean energy and the just energy transition; specifically, in meeting energy demands and ensuring energy equity through an environmentally sustainable energy mix. Her role at the CER is cross-cutting, as she challenges gas developments through the Pollution and Climate Change, Mining, and Corporate Accountability and Transparency Programmes.
In her spare time, Gabrielle enjoys being outdoors with animals more than anything else, but has brought nature indoors and spends plenty time caring for her ‘jungalow'!
Greg was a director of both the specialist environmental and green business law firm, Cullinan & Associates, and EnAct International, an environmental law and policy consultancy that specialises in developing and strengthening governance systems that promote ecologically sustainable societies. He holds the degrees B. Iuris LL.B from the University of the Western Cape and a Master's degree in marine and environmental law from the University of Cape Town. He completed his articles in 2002 at the Legal Resources Centre in Cape Town and, after that, joined Cullinan & Associates and EnAct International. Greg has drafted numerous environmental laws, been involved in precedent setting Constitutional Court judgements and regularly trains Parliamentary legal advisors, government officials and lawyers on environmental law. He is a keen documentary filmmaker who enjoys recording the personal histories and stories of forgotten people.
Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh has over two decades of experience working in human rights and social justice sector in South Africa and beyond. Formerly the Executive Director of the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, she has a deep knowledge and understanding of the Southern African political, economic, and human rights context and is committed to promoting social justice and reducing inequality. Kaajal is currently Director of the Africa Regional Programme for the International Commission of Jurists.
Kerry Williams is an advocate at the Johannesburg Bar and is a member of the Pan African Bar Association of South Africa. She previously practiced as an attorney for over a decade. She was a founding trustee and board member of the Equal Education Law Centre. She also served as a board member of the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project during its same-sex marriage campaign. She has a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Governance at Harvard University and a Masters in Public Law from the University of London. She graduated from the University of Cape Town with an LLB.
Job Titles:
- in 2022 As the Administrator
- Programme Administrator
Kim Blessie joined the CER in 2022 as the Administrator for the Pollution, Climate Change and Mining Programmes. She assists with programme coordination, collaboration and communication. She also coordinates support for CER's clients and partners, assists in the provision of advice to and the representation of communities and civil society organisations and liaises with funders, clients, partner organisations and members of the public.
Kim has managed administrative processes in various environmental, project management and legal organisations and has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement processes. She has paralegal, secretarial and project management qualifications and has also trained and worked as an independent environmental control officer. She is proficient in minute-taking, formatting, and editing and has strong organisational and communication skills.
Kim's background has provided her with an understanding of environmental issues and administrative processes. She is an analytical thinker, passionate about the well-being of people and the environment and aims to build and maintain professional and meaningful relationships.
Job Titles:
- Head
- Programme Head: Corporate Accountability and Transparency
Leanne holds an LLB from the Wits University and an LLM in International Human Rights Law summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame. She served as a law clerk in the Constitutional Court to Justice Tholakele Madala and worked briefly at legal NGOs in India, which reinforced her commitment to the attainment of social justice and the protection of human rights through judicial and non-judicial mechanisms of accountability. She completed her articles at the law firm Cheadle Thompson and Haysom, where she continued to work as an associate before joining Corruption Watch as Head of Legal and Investigations in 2014. She has obtained an MA in Anthropology from Wits University.
Leanne joined the Centre in October 2018 and manages its Corporate Accountability and Transparency programme.
Job Titles:
- Head of Communications
- Environmental Rights' Head of Communications
Lerato Balendran is the Centre for Environmental Rights' Head of Communications.
Lerato is deeply passionate about safeguarding the future of our planet, and believes CER is a valuable platform that empowers people to defend and exercise their Constitutional right to a safe and healthy environment.
As a seasoned media and communications professional, Lerato brings years of relevant experience which includes working in broadcasting and the media, as well as serving in the international NGO sector including 350.org (Africa Team) as the Regional Communications Coordinator and Communications Officer at the Global Campaign for Education.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Finance Manager
- Head of Operations
Majury Chada, a qualified Chartered Accountant with over 9 years' experience brings deep financial expertise and broad business insight to the role of Head of Operations. Her profound understanding of complex financial, technical and operational concepts will help shape the strategic direction of CER creating long term value for the organisation, communities and economies.
Majury joined the CER as the Finance Manager in 2021. She performed this role in a disciplined approach with strong financial and business acumen. Majury has dedicated her career to enabling integrated financial accounting and reporting, risk management, project management and the creation and maintenance of strong financial systems. Her strategic, business, financial intelligence and leadership will continue to deliver value at CER.
Majury holds a BComm Honours degree in Risk Management and Insurance (NUST), Bachelor of Accounting Science (UNISA), and Post Graduate Diploma in Accounting (UFH).
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Executive Assistant to the Executive
Margo is the Executive Assistant to the Executive and Deputy Directors of the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER). She joined the organisation in February 2023.
Margo has over 20 years of experience in the NGO sector, having worked extensively in creating and managing systems via knowledge and information management projects, grant administration, event logistics and finance. More recently, Margo worked within the Grant Making space as the Portfolio Administration Lead (Grant Manager of Grant Support Unit) for the Open Society Foundation for South Africa. She also consulted briefly on grant administration processes for Nature Finance as fiscally hosted by the Swiss Philanthropic Foundation.
Margo has always been passionate about women's issues and employee wellness initiatives within organisations, and she hopes that her experience at CER with be one of continued learning.
Job Titles:
- Programme Head: Activist Support & Training
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Non - Executive Director
Nomvula Agnes Ludada was born in Bedford, Eastern Cape in 1965 as the youngest of seven children. She attended Kuyasa High School before moving to Cape Town in 1986, where she worked as a jewellery maker for 26 years until the company that employed her was closed. Agnes joined the Centre in mid-2017. She has two children and enjoys attending church on Sundays as well as running and playing tennis in her spare time.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director - Programmes
Job Titles:
- Human Resources & Compliance Administrator
Job Titles:
- Human Resources and Office Manager