LLEWELLYN LEONARD
Llewellyn Leonard graduated from the University of Durban Westville and has an academic research background, with a Bachelor of Paedegogic, a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and an MSc in Water and Environmental Management. After completing his MSc, Llewellyn chose to apply his skills and knowledge within the civil society non-profit arena, rather than joining industry or government.
In 2001, Llewellyn, joined groundWork, which is a Human Rights and Environmental organisation, based in Pietermaritzburg. groundWork seeks to make the link between environmental abuse and human rights in a democratic South Africa. groundWork is the only environmental justice NGO working on air pollution and health care waste campaigning in South Africa.
He has been instrumental in developing “The Isipingo Declaration on eliminating the harmful impacts of Health Care Waste and Incinerators in Southern African communities”. This is the first organised civil society declaration calling on Southern African governments to seek alternative mechanisms of dealing with waste management rather than incineration.
As part of his Health Care Waste project, Llewellyn works with two hospitals in South Africa. The idea is to make these hospitals model institutions for other hospitals to follow. Already substantial improvements have been achieved since implementation of the program. Llewellyn, using his experience gained from working with hospitals has developed a manual for South African hospitals to use in order that they may implement their own environmental management plans. Other areas that he is dealing with are regards to the Africa Stockpiles Project (ASP) and cement kilns.
SAJITHA KHAN
As a student, Sajitha faced her first challenge in the real world at a discount store to pay for her university education. Only whites were allowed lunch and tea breaks. She changed that around and made sure that all races were treated alike.
She graduated from the University of Durban Westville (UDW) (now known as the University of KwaZulu- Natal) with majors in microbiology and physiology. She worked at UDW for two years. She joined an international company and worked in their research and development division while studying for her Masters in Business Administration. She resigned for the company because she disagreed with their policy that people of colour could not progress beyond the lower management level.
Her community activities include fighting for equal property rates for all race groups. Indians paid higher rates than whites but the money was used to develop white areas. She has organized marches and demonstrations and has brought about the closure of an incinerator. She collected 6000 signatures for a petition to close Bisassar Dumpsite. She conducted her own mini survey and discovered a cancer cell opposite the dumpsite.
When meetings with government and city officials failed, she was forced to take the government and city council to court. The case has been registered in the Pietermaritzburg court and she is currently waiting for a trial date to be set.
NIC NEL
Mr Nel was born in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal. He has held many positions since he completed his Law degree in 1965. He worked as a Public Prosecutor in Pietermaritzburg Magistrates Court, administered estates and trusts for Standard Bank and then salesman for Burroughs Machines. Finally he started his own business in life assurance and financial and tax consulting in 1971 and now concentrates purely on Income Tax Compliance Consulting and Tax and Financial Strategy Planning for about 400 very long standing clients. He is also a registered farmer.
He belongs to the Rotors Club and Linbro Park Ratepayers Association. He has been the lead critic of Sandton Town Council 1993 to present for failure to comply with their statutory and common law obligations in upholding the Town Planning Scheme in Linbro Park and failure to comply with the requirements of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act. He has challenged Pikitup Pty Ltd, fully owned subsidiary of Joburg Metro Council, for mismanagement of the Linbro Park Landfill Site from 1994 to present, as a member of the Linbro Park Landfill Site Monitoring Committee.
Posted by Toussaint at July 19, 2004 01:15 PM