Melusi Simelane
Founder
One of Eswatini’s most recognizable activists, Melusi Simelane is a name synonymous with human rights. As the founder of Eswatini Sexual & Gender Minorities (ESGM), Simelane uses his voice to bring awareness to the conditions under which the LGBTI community and all minority groups live in Eswatini.
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.
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
Sam Lapidos
Treasurer
Sam Lapidos is a Property Manager, Real Estate Consultant and Interior Designer having worked in the architectural, planning and project management industry for over 5 years. Previous professional experience in administration and communication for almost 10 years.
Wandile Fundo Tsabedze
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.
Sisanda Sakhile Mavimbela
Sisanda Sakhile Mavimbela holds an associate degree in architecture from Limkokwing University in Eswatini, because of the inequalities, injustice and discrimination faced by LGBTIQ+ persons in the Kingdom she has worked in the human rights sector for the last 7years. Sisanda is a Mandela Washington Fellow alumni who attended a leadership course in Civil Engagement in 2019 at the Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sisanda is also a 2024 Ford Regional Fellow. She served as the executive director of Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities (ESGM) for three years. Sisanda served 3years as the LGBTIQ+ substantive representative under the Country Coordinating Mechanism for Global Fund. Sisanda is also part of the Digital Society Africa Network as a trainer of Digital security for human rights defenders in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
Buyile Mavimbela
Buyile Mavimbela is an accomplished Monitoring and Evaluation Professional with experience at Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital and the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg, Eswatini. Specializing in national and community development, Buyile has worked on the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of programmes and projects addressing vulnerabilities from the grass-roots level to national indicators. Highly motivated, personable, and a good communicator, Buyile possesses proven working experience in monitoring and evaluation systems development and management, quantitative and qualitative research, capacity development, training and consulting, project management, development sector, and donor sector.
Nosisa Nolwazi Ngwenyama
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.
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
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.
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 (She/Her/Hers)
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.
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.
Mphile Sihlongnyane
Executive Director
Mphile Sihlongonyane is a visionary Executive Leader with 15+ years of experience in NGO management, human rights advocacy, and resource mobilization, specializing in policy reform, stakeholder engagement, and program scaling. Proven track record of securing multi-donor funding (EU, UNDP, OSISA), leading national coalitions, and driving systemic change for marginalized communities in Southern Africa.
A graduate from UNISWA in the Social Sciences, he is accredited for BRIDGE as an Election Observer under SADC-ESN, Human Rights-Based Programming, Climate Smart Advocacy, and Anti-Corruption measures.
He has undertaken a lot of work on Policy Analysis | Grant Writing |, Stakeholder Mapping and Project Cycle Management.