Meet the Team
The Centre for Rural Legal Studies possesses a small, yet flexible team of employee that allows the organization to pursue its goals within the shifting contexts of modern South Africa.
Board Chairperson (Acting)
Terance Fife
Terance has been active in Land Reform processes and most notably with the Richtersveld and Khomani San Communal Property Associations (CPAs). He is passionate about rural communities and farm workers and through his consultancy, Rural Development Services provides mediation and facilitation interventions. He provides guidance to numerous rural communities in partnership with government.
Board Role: Secretary
Johan van der Merwe
Johan has been active for many years as a human rights lawyer. He specialises in public interest law, environmental law and land reform and has contributed immensely to farm workers tenure security.
Board Role: Treasurer
Amanda February
With more than 15 year’s extensive experience in financial management and accounting – Amanda has guided the CRLS in terms of financial planning, control and managing financial risk. Amanda has been the chief financial officer at Groot Constantia Wine Estate since 2013.
Board Role: Trustee
Henk Smith
Henk has extensive legal and rural development experience. He was a Director of the Legal Resources Centre and Co-ordinator of the Land, Housing and Development Unit. He has extensive experience as an advocate dealing with land restitution issues of farm and rural communities and specialised on extractive land use and the impact and rights of rural and farm communities.
Board Role: Trustee
Karin Kleinbooi
Karin works in the Southern African region and internationally around food systems and value-chain transformation to benefit smallholder farmers. She has a strong research
background with specialist interest in land rights. Her focus on sustainability enables her to explore the interconnectedness of land, food systems, ecosystems and the socio-economic
sphere.
Board Role: Trustee
Margot Slabbert
Margot is a Human Rights Law and Environmental Law graduate with strong passion for environmental education, justice and earth-centred governance. Through her work experience she has focused on legal research and sustainable value chain development.
Board Role: Trustee
Lulama Ndibongo-Traub
Lulama’s research interest focus on food marketing and trade policies and the effect on sustainable and equitable development. She continues to be involved on the African continent to promote development of national and regional agricultural and food security policies.
Board Role: ex-officio member (Managing Trustee)
Sharron Marco-Tyse
Sharron is an ex-officio member of the Board. Sharron, as a gender and human rights activist, has more than 15 years senior management experience in the NGO sector. Her postgraduate diploma (NQF8) in Land and Agrarian studies has consolidated her experience and passion on land reform. She remains involved at a strategic level within the agricultural and rural sector to influence policies and programmes that have an impact on the lives of the rural poor.
