Melusi Simelane
Founder and Board Chairperson
Melusi Simelane founded ESGM in 2019, led it as Executive Director until 2021 and now chairs the Board. A human rights defender and lead organiser of Eswatini's first Pride in 2018, Melusi is Head of Civic Rights at the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, working on freedom of expression, digital rights and civic space across Southern and East Africa. Melusi is a Chevening Scholar (MA International Relations, University of Sussex, 2025 to 2026) and an Obama Foundation Scholar (Columbia University, 2021 to 2022), and was the first LGBTIQ+ activist to address the Commonwealth Committee of the Whole, in 2018.
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Mary Pais Da Silva
Legal Advisor
Award-winning Human Rights Defender and Attorney of the High Court of Swaziland with over 20 years of experience in legal practice, strategic litigation, and human rights advocacy. Recipient of the Shield Award (2023) for exceptional leadership in advancing freedoms and rights in Swaziland and beyond.
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Co-Founding Director of the African Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders, leading capacity-building programmes that strengthen the protection, resilience, and leadership of women human rights defenders across Africa.
Extensive expertise in women’s and children’s rights, gender justice, GBV prevention, and international human rights law, with impactful work at national, regional, and international levels in partnership with organisations such as the International Commission of Jurists.
A trusted facilitator, trainer, and speaker, regularly engaging in high-level forums on democratic governance, social justice, and the protection of marginalised groups. Recognised for collaborative leadership, advocacy strategies, and building sustainable support networks.
Key Competencies: Human Rights Law | Women & Children’s Rights | GBV Prevention | Strategic Litigation | Policy Reform | Capacity Building | Advocacy & Partnerships
Languages: siSwati, English, Portuguese
Wandile Fundo Tsabedze
Board member
Wandile (Fundo) Tsabedze, PhD, is affiliated with the University of South Africa and is associated with the Eswatini Psychology Association and North-West University / Noordwes-Universiteit, based in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Area. He holds a BSc Soc Sci in Psychology, an Honours Degree in Psychology, a Master of Health Sciences in Psychology, and a PhD in Psychology, all obtained from North-West University Mafikeng Campus, South Africa. His teaching philosophy is embedded in social constructivism, and his research paradigm focuses on mental health and evidence-based approaches. Dr. Tsabedze is skilled in quantitative, qualitative, mixed method, and scoping reviews, with research interests including African Psychology, emotional intelligence and aggression among adolescents, mental health and psycho-social well-being of incarcerated populations, LGBTQ+, caregivers, neurodevelopmental delays among young adults, and auto-ethnography design.
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Buyile Mavimbela
Board member
Buyile Mavimbela is an accomplished Monitoring and Evaluation professional with experience at Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital and the United Nations (UNICEF). She holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg and specializes in national and community development, consulting in various projects. Her expertise includes programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, research, M&E systems development, capacity building, training, and project management across the development and donor sectors.
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Nosisa Nolwazi Ngwenyama
Board member
Nosisa Nolwazi Ngwenyama or Lwazi as she prefers to be called, has undergraduate academic training in Anthropology, Politics and Gender Studies from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine and holds a Master of Arts in Anthropology degree from the University of Cape Town. Albeit her academic background, she has extensive experience in marketing, advertising, communications, and fundraising as she has been working in those fields since 2016.
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An advocate for inclusion and equity through sports, Lwazi is a founding member of the Teqball Eswatini Federation and a former Gender and Equity officer within the Eswatini Basketball Association. She is also a member of the United World Colleges (UWC) International Council, actively working on spreading, promoting, and safeguarding the UWC mission
Musawenkhosi Sifundza
Board member
Sifundza Musawenkhosi Cyprian, a Swazi male residing in Siteki, is an educator and a committed leader in his community. He plays a pivotal role in trade union leadership as the National Organising Secretary of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), the most representative trade union federation in the country.
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Sifundza is a passionate human rights defender, actively engaging with civil society organizations. He served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Socio-economic Justice (FSEJ) and currently sits on its Board of Trustees. He has also been a National Executive member of the Justice and Peace wing of the Roman Catholic Church. Furthermore, he is part of the steering committee of the newly established Swaziland Human Rights Defenders Network and serves on the board of Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (ESGM).
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), which have equipped him with the knowledge and skills to excel in his professional and advocacy roles.
Valencia Cebile Fakudze
Board member
She/her
Valencia Fakudze is a passionate Human Rights Defender and Activist with over four years of experience advocating for marginalized communities, including LGBTQI+ individuals, women and girls, and persons with disabilities. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science, majoring in Mathematics and Economics.
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Valencia has held several leadership roles, including General Manager at The Rock of Hope (2022 – 2023), Executive Director at The Rock of Hope (2023–2024), Chairperson of the Eswatini Key Population Consortium (May 2024 – Jan 2025), and currently serves as Vice Chairperson of the Eswatini Youth Consortium and is currently with COSPE as Project Manager and Eswatini Focal Person for two International Project.
She has represented Eswatini on global platforms such as the #AIDS2024 Conference in Germany, where she spoke on legal and policy reform for key populations. She has also partnered with UNDP Eswatini, contributing to regional forums on equitable access to HIV prevention and SRHR for young key populations.
Her expertise spans capacity building for CSOs and CBOs, strategic planning, program implementation, stakeholder engagement, and resource mobilization. Known for her data-driven decision-making and team leadership, Valencia remains committed to equity, youth empowerment, and sustainable development.
