Our Team

Kholi Buthelezi

Kholi Buthelezi

Sisonke National Coordinator

Kholi Buthelezi is a feminist activist since 2002. She is the National Coordinator of SISONKE National Movement which is currently based and fiscal hosted within SWEAT. Sisonke was established in 2003 with Kholi as the founding member. Kholi has experience in many spheres of work; has progressed from being a peer educator, an outreach development worker, to being the African Sex Worker Alliance Country Coordinator to her current position as Coordinator for Sisonke and a member of the SWEAT Management Team. Kholi is an active advocate for sex workers’ rights in the African continent and globally. Her passion and dream is to mobilize and organize sex workers of all diversities regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity to claim their rights; including advocacy on setting standards for fair and safe working conditions; decriminalize adult consented sex work; universal access to health, legal and social services; and consistent safer sex practices and sex workers’ health and wellbeing. She works with other women’s organizations, engages in national, regional and international advocacy efforts targeting sex workers.

Phamela Chakuvinga

Pamela Chakuvinga

Sisonke Assistant National Coordinator

Pamela Chakuvinga, Sisonke Assistant National Coordinator has dedicated her life advancing the plight of the discriminated and marginalized. Starting as an ordinary Sisonke member, Pamela was in 2010 employed by the movement as a Media Liaison Officer.

Prior to joining Sisonke, she worked as a Paralegal for Tshwaranang based in Johannesburg. The outspoken, but with great sense of humor, Pamela has a National Certificate in Computer Studies. Born in Zimbabwe and a true activist for human rights, she was elevated to being the Assistant National Coordinator of the movement in 2013.

She represents Sisonke nationally and internationally advocating for the decriminalization of sex work, sex workers’ accessibility to human and health rights irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Yonela Sinqu

Yonela Sinqu

National Communications, Membership and Evaluation Officer

Yonela Sinqu joined Sisonke as a Communications, Membership and Evaluation Officer during the trying times of Covid-19. Coming from a media background after more than 10 years behind the desk as a reporter, lay out artist and photographer, she is Jack if not Jill of all trades. Passionate about community development with a passion for languages, she is able to communicate in five of the 11 official South African languages, yet, is interested to add a couple more including those out of the country. An activist and humanitarian at heart, she followed a career in journalism. A graduate from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Yonela embraces change and diversity with a keen interest to tell the stories of others either on camera or in written form. A young woman of not so many words from the Eastern Cape, Yonela lets her work do the talking.

Sampras Kaweesi 2

Sampras Noel Kaweesi

Sisonke Finance Officer

Sampras Noel Kaweesi was born and bred in Uganda and has been living Cape Town South Africa since 2009. He holds a Diploma in Development Studies, a Bachelor in Accounting Sciences in Financial Accounting with UNISA, a registered and certified Chartered Accountant, he is a strong human rights fighter for the marginalized community especially the LGBTQI and sex workers. Sampras has been working in Non Profit Sector for more than 7 years, dedicating four years to SWEAT as a Finance Officer.

He has had a strong passion for community development and implementation of community growth programs and projects. A strong advocate of social justice; a strong believer in the power of knowledge, especially in the context of an individual and societal development as a whole Sampras serves as a board secretary of a non-profit organization (Pakhama) operating from Gugulethu and Langa, Cape Town feeding the underprivileged and develops survival skills to the youth, enabling them improve their livelihoods.

Nthabi Kgomo

Nthabiseng Kgomo

Provincial Coordinator, North West​

Nthabiseng Kgomo hails from Zola in Soweto attended Ethuteng Primary School and  Mphezulu High School in Limpopo’s Groblersdal.

Nthabiseng began her career as a volunteer artist for CARE, who was previously known as Community Care Centre, were she interacted with Hillbrow youth later moved to being a Receptionist in 2007.
A people’s person, Nthabiseng has also worked as a Youth Counsellor for Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI).

She joined Sisonke, North West in July 2016 as Provincial Coordinator.

Zukie

Zukiswa Ngobo

Provincial Coordinator, Gauteng​

Zukiswa Ngobo draws her inspiration from Sisonke’s vision and strives to assist those less fortunate than her in every aspect of personal development.

Bornn at Somerset Hospital, Cape Town, Zukiswa attended Vuzamanzi Primary School before progressing to Langa High School also in Cape Town. She has worked her way from being a domestic worker; volunteered for Mothers for the Future; a movement supporting mothers who are sex workers to being Sisonke’s Peer Educator.

Zukiswa, joined Sisonke in 2016 as a Peer Educator for Western Cape, thanks to her exemplary dedication on her work was promoted to be Provincial Coordinator, Gauteng. She strives every day to better sex workers’ lives. 

Nokwande Gambushe

Nokwanda Gambushe

Provincial Coordinator, KwaZulu-Natal​

Nokwanda Gambushe joined Sisonke five years ago as a mere Sisonke member. A born leader with the willingness to serve, she has progressed from being a Sisonke member to Peer Educator and now a Provincial Coordinator. Qualified in Information Technology End User Computing, Nokwanda has been selected to being one of the observers on the Hands Off Advisory Board; representing sex workers from five countries in southern Africa. Not a stranger to representation, in 2019 she stood tall as one of the panellists at the Aids Conference presenting on adherence of medication to sex workers.

Linda Dumba

Linda Hamunyari Dumba​

Provincial Coordinator, Limpopo

Linda Hamunyari Dumba is a true reflection of perseverance as she has climbed the Sisonke ladder starting as just a member attending meetings and trainings to peer education. Born in Zimbabwe’s fourth largest city, Mutare, Linda came to South Africa in 2009.

Linda has O Level equivalent to Matric, certificate in peer education, certificate in human rights defense and a Diploma in Computers.

Lloyd

Lloyd Rugara

Provincial Coordinator, Western Cape​

Lloyd Rugara has led a life of having worn multiple hats including; Activist and Lobbyist, Media voice for MSM, Peer Educator, Peer Team Leader, Helpline Junior Counsellor, Human Rights Defender, Board Member, Staff Representative within Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) and Sisonke.

With matric, Lloyd acquired a Peer Education Training Certificate, Certificate in HIV Counselling and Finger Prick Testing, a programme ran in partnership with Stellenbosch University and Counselling Skills, United Nations and African Human Rights System in partnership with University of Pretoria.

The founder of Foreign Men, a support group for foreign male sex workers started at Sisonke as a peer educator and has since became a Steering Committee member of Asijiki Coalition, a coalition of organisations fighting for the decriminalization of sex work in South Africa. He is also representing Sisonke as a Steering Committee member at KP Reach Communications Working Group.

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