Rev. Malcolm Damon is a founder member of EJN, which was formed in 1997 in Zimbabwe to serve the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa on economic justice issues. He joined EJN in 2001 and as Executive Director takes overall responsibility for the organisation’s work. He serves (ex-officio) on the Steering Committee of EJN and works closely with its members and the General Secretaries of FOCCISA.
Malcolm studied theology at the University of the Western Cape and obtained a M.Th from the university, specialising in economic justice. In 1994 he gained a M.Th from Princeton Theological Seminary (USA), with courses in Medical Ethics, Ethics and Economic Life and Social Ethics.
Malcolm is passionate about the role and responsibility of the Church in economic, social, political and environmental justice. He serves as Chairperson of the Food Strategy Group of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA), is a member of the Ecological Debt Working Group of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and an executive member of Industrial Ministry of the Reformed Church family in South Africa.
Marcel Carnatz-Teixeira has been a pillar of the Economic Justice Network's Finance Department since 2003. Before joining the Economic Justice Network, she worked at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Her educational background includes Business Management and Labour Law qualifications. She is currently studying Social Welfare and Foreign Languages. In her capacity as Financial Manager, she is responsible for all financial matters within Economic Justice Network.
Her passion for economic issues led her to this field, enabling her to form part of an organisation that deals with them. In 2000 she formed an organization called "It's My Life" for abused and neglected children in order to help those who cannot help themselves. She is an active volunteer helping in poorer communities.
Her other areas of interest, among many, are philosophy, religion, history, environmental issues, gardening and wildlife. Her mission is to make a difference in the world. Marcel believes that unity is strength and we can make a difference.
Mandla Hadebe is a journalist by profession. In the last 20 years he has worked in various organizations as a reporter, sub-editor, editor and a Communications and Information Officer, assisting organizations to set up Information Departments and expand their communications capabilities. His main goal at EJN is to develop and use communication tools to increase the impact of EJN’s mission of policy responses and change. His area of focus is Ecological Debt and Extractive Industries.
Simon Vilakazi joined EJN in 2006 after working for the Basic Income Grant (BIG) National Office (South Africa). He graduated with a Sociology (Honours) degree from the University of Cape Town and continued to study for Sociology Masters degree at the same university. His areas of work at the Economic Justice Network are food security, poverty and other social issues. Simon is passionate about issues of social and economic development, trade, poverty, population, race, culture, religion, debt, aid, education, capacity building and computers.
Phindiwe Siwela has worked for the Economic Justice Network since 2006 after working for Grassroots Educare Trust and Adult Training in Cape Town for many years. Educationally, she has an Advanced Diploma in Adult Education, obtained from the University of Cape Town. Her interests focus on marginalised communities.
Her responsibilities at EJN include overall administration duties and management of the Director’s and programmes staff members’ diaries. She is alos responsible for arranging travel and other logistics issues for the organisation’s events and activities. Phindiwe is a pillar of strength at our office.
Rumbidzai M. Masango holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Politics and Philosophy from the University of Cape Town (UCT). She has been part of the EJN Team since late 2008, and is currently the Communications Officer. Her areas of interest are in the political field, particularly international relations, democracy, justice and Third World politics. She has been involved in the Extractives programme work in particular focusing on how mining activities affect communities in the region. One such event which highlights this is the Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI) organized annually by EJN and her partners.
Mr. Nsama Chikwanka from the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) will be with EJN on a placement through the NCA Just World Exchange programme of the Fredskorpset (FK). Nsama will be here for nine months working primarily Extractives but will assist with the Food security and other programmes within EJN. He holds a BA in Adult Education, PGD in PM&E, a diploma in Public Health, a joint diploma in PR, Advertising and Marketing, is a trained Leadership Facilitator and a psychosocial counsellor, in addition to several CPD certificates.
With over ten years of work experience he has also previously worked as Programme Monitor at the UN World Food Programme, Project Coordinator with the Zambia Red Cross Society among others before setting up & coordinating Read Beyond Zambia, a charity that advocates for children’s literacy skills development. Nsama is passionate about literacy and reading. He says “many of our people lack critical literacy skills and this is the root of many of our governance challenges.”
Miss Rikki Watts is an undergraduate student, majoring in Sociology and Political Science at Truman State University (USA). She is interning with Economic Justice Network for five weeks this summer (June 2013) and is working with Simon on his projects. Truman State University is a public liberal arts and sciences university located in Missouri, United States. She is interested in food security and is passionate about a more just and equal world.