HRDA Alumni - Centre for Human Rights

Congratulations to Dr Thompson Chengeta (Zimbabwe, HRDA Class of 2011) on his appointment by UN Secretary-General Mr Antonio Guterres, to his 15-member advisory board on disarmament matters.

Read more here: https://www.pindula.co.zw/2023/12/13/zimbabwean-lawyer-thompson-chengeta-appointed-to-un-disarmament-advisory-board/

Global Campus Alumni

Prizes awarded during the HRDA graduation ceremony on 8 December 2023:

1. Victor Dankwa Award (best students in the module Human Rights in Africa)
- Chimwemwe Chithope-Mwale (Malawi) and Joshua Malidzo Nyawa (Kenya)

2. Nelson Mandela Award (best student in the HRDA programme) and Kéba M'Baye Award (student with highest percentage for the mini-dissertation)
- Idirashe Amanda Chikomba (Zimbabwe)

3. Ubuntu Award (student who best embodied the values and spirit of Ubuntu during the HRDA)
- Chrispin Bosire (Kenya)

Global Campus Alumni

Professional placement opportunities for newly graduated HRDA students:
1. African Court: Chrispin Bosire (Kenya)
2. African Committee: Ntokozo Sibanyoni (South Africa)
3. African Comission: Awa G*i (The Gambia)
#2023

Our 2023 Vera Chirwa Award Recipient: Grace Wakio Kakai, alias Mama Grace!

Originally from Kenya, Grace has made significant contributions to develop the African Court's (the Court) jurisprudence. After completing the Master's Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA) in 2006, Grace joined the Court in 2007 as a Legal Expert. She later served as the Head of the Legal Division and is currently holding the position of Deputy Registrar at the Court. She has also been a mentor to many of our HRDA alumni who did their internships at the Court.
We thank Grace for the pivotal role that she continues to play to advance the protection of human rights on the African continent and for the selfless support that she has been providing to our interns.

Congratulations to a great leader

Dr Makunya appointed as an Associate Professor

We are happy to inform you that Dr Trésor Muhindo Makunya, HRDA class of 2017, was recently appointed by the Ministry of Higher Education of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as Associate Professor of Public and Constitutional Law at the University of Goma. Professor Makunya was, between 2021 and 2023, the Centre’s Publications Coordinator. He (co-)supervised several LLB, masters and doctoral dissertations at the Faculty of Law of the University of Pretoria. He is the co-editor of the recently published Commentary on the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women, the Convening Editor of the African Court Law Report and the co-editor of the African Human Rights Yearbook.
We wish him well in this new role.

#2017

Professor Ademola Jegede appointed to serve as an External Expert on Children and Climate Change at the African Union Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC)

It is our great pleasure to share with you that the ACERWC has appointed one of our HRDA alumni, Professor Jegede (Nigeria, HRDA Class of 2008), to serve as an external expert to its Working Group on Children and Climate Change with effect from November 2023 to October 2025.

Congratulations to Professor Jegede and we wish him good luck.

Congratulations to Professor Horace Adjolohoun (Benin, Class of 2007) who, subsequent to the vetting process by the Joint Appointments and Promotions Committee of Senate and Council, has recently been appointed as Adjunct Professor at the African Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice Justice, Faculty of Law, University of Western Cape, South Africa.

Professor Adjolohoun has previously served as Visiting Professor at the Central European University and is currently one of the Extraordinary Lecturers at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Joseph Geng Akech as Minister of Youth and Sports of South Sudan. Dr Geng completed his LLM in the HRDA Programme in 2018 at the Centre for Human Rights and later pursued an LLD at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. We wish him good luck.

Alumni gathering during the ACHPR Session that was held last week in Arusha, Tanzania
Global Campus Alumni

We are excited to announce the latest edition of our HRDA Alumni Diaries.
Click here to access:https://www.chr.up.ac.za/images/publications/Alumni_Diaries/AD_2022_10_October_2023.pdf

www.chr.up.ac.za

Huge congratulations to Dr Satang Nabaneh (The Gambia, Class of 2012) on winning the Academia International Award at the Justitia Awards 2023.

Global Campus Alumni

HRDA Alumna appointed as Centre for Human Rights Acting Director

The Centre for Human Rights wishes to inform its friends, collaborating partners and all other stakeholders of the appointment of Professor Nkatha Murungi as Acting Director. Prof Murungi completed her LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa at the Centre in 2009 and later went on to pursue her LLD at the University of Western Cape.

We wish her good luck in her new role.

Please read full article here: https://www.chr.up.ac.za/latest-news/3568-centre-for-human-rights-appoints-professor-nkatha-murungi-as-acting-director?highlight=WyJtdXJ1bmdpIl0=

Scholarship Opportunity

Canon Collins Trust invites applications for scholarships to study for the Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and/or the Master of Laws (LLM) by distance learning at the University of London in 2024. Applicants can start at any level, and do not need to complete the whole programme. For example, applicants can start at Postgraduate Certificate level and work their way through to the LLM, or can stop after completing the PG Certificate. Applicants who have completed an LLB degree may start at LLM level, skipping the PG Certificate and Diploma.

Apply online: https://canoncollins.org/scholarships/uol-llm-scholarships/

⛔Deadline: 23 August 2023 4:00 pm GMT

Alumni Networking Roundtable brought back alumni to Centre to address contemporary challenges and strengthen network.
On Friday 28 July, the Centre also held its inaugural Christof Heyns Human Rights Memorial Lecture, at the AULA, University of Pretoria.

Huge congratulations to Fazili Mihigo (DRC, Class of 2021) who has recently been appointed as Civil Magistrate of the Public Ministry.

#

Congratulations to two of our alumni (Davina Murden, HRDA Alumni Coordinator and alumna of the 2021 Class, and Kelvin Vries, Class of 2020) who were recently among the participants of the Central European University 2023 Summer School on Constitution building in Africa held in Budapest.

HRDA Alumni met at the 2023 continental Indaba on the negotiation on binding instrument on business & human rights in UN held in Braamfontein, South Africa on the 27th of June.
From left to right, Lloyd Kuveya (Assistant Director, Centre for Human Rights), Commissioner Solomon Ayele Dersso (Chairperson of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights) and Professor Tshepo Madlingozi (Director of CALS at Wits University Law Faculty).

Sudden passing of an alumnus of the HRDA Pioneer Class of 2000, Associate Professor Aifheli Enos Tshivhase (South Africa, 2000).
May his soul rest in peace and we also wish courage to his wife and two daughters whom he leaves behind.

Read more: https://www.chr.up.ac.za/latest-news/3456-sudden-passing-of-an-alumnus-of-the-hrda-pioneer-class-of-2000-associate-professor-aifheli-enos-tshivhase

HRDA Alumni (from left to right, Lloyd Kuveya, Dr George Mukundi, Honorable Yvonne Dausab, Prof Viljoen and Clement Mavungu) and the Director of the Centre, Prof Viljoen, reunion at the first formal Pan-African Parliament CSO Forum on 19 May 2023!
GC Africa

We add one more name to the list of Doctorates completed by our HRDA Alumni!!

David Ikpo (Nigeria, Class of 2016) was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy for his thesis, ‘Using indigenous storytelling and African Commission soft law in Nigerian law classrooms to advance q***r rights’, completed under the supervision of Professor Frans Viljoen.
Dr Ikpo also complied with all the requirements and received the degree Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Motion Picture Medium, with the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance.

Congratulations to Dr Ikpo

Professor Nkatha Murungi (HRDA Class of 2009, Kenya) presenting the Joint General Comment (GC) ACHPR-ACERWC on Female Ge***al Mutilation
***alMutilation

Congratulations to Dr Patricia Odong (Uganda, Class of 2007) for completing her doctorate at the University of Western Cape.

Thesis title: Community based mental health care: a necessity for realising the right to independent living and community inclusion of persons with mental disabilities in Uganda

From her side, Dr Odong wishes to acknowledge the Centre and some of our HRDA alumni who have supported her throughout her PhD journey.

We wish her good luck!!

Centre bids goodbye and thanks two HRDA alumni and Centre staff

The Centre for Human Rights at the end of March 2023, bid farewell to two outstanding alumni of the Master’s programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA), who also served the Centre as invaluable staff members.

Former Manager of the SOGIESC Unit, Dr Ayodele Sogunro, has been with us at the Centre for almost six years. He completed his Master's programme in HRDA in 2017, completed his PhD in 2021, while being the Manager of the SOGIESC Unit. We wish Ayo good luck as he starts his new journey as Senior Sexual Rights Lawyer at Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA).

Former Student Coordinator for the HRDA Master’s Programme, Johannes Buabeng-Baidoo, was a student of the HRDA Class of 2011 and later went on to pursue his doctorate at the Centre. He was also the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of The Gambia. We wish him well in his future path.

Thank you for your contributions, Ayo and Johannes.

Read full article here: https://www.chr.up.ac.za/latest-news/3355-centre-bids-goodbye-and-thanks-two-hrda-alumni-and-centre-staff

We are proudly presenting to you the awardee of the 2023 Christof Heyns Human Rights Scholarship, Mr Brian Kibirango.

Brian, from Uganda, was one of the HRDA students from Class 2021. Brian’s thesis is on the impact of international law on the right to participate in public affairs in Uganda.

We wish him good luck with his PhD thesis.

You can read the full article here: https://www.chr.up.ac.za/latest-news/3251-brian-kibirango-awarded-2023-christof-heyns-human-rights-scholarship

For all your requests of qualifications obtained at UP, you can access and download the request form here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TmjZ1Dp9sxDMP57icwNXpF4tRthGZRL_/view?usp=sharing

For more information, kindly click here: https://www.up.ac.za/alumni/article/2745826/academic-transcripts

Please note that all completed forms and proof of payment need to be sent to [email protected]

Thulani Maseko (1st March 1970 - 21st January 2023)
(Eswatini, Class of 2005)

A human rights defender of great and justified reputation who was not afraid to raise his voice against a powerful monarchy in Eswatini.
Thulani was shot dead in front of his family on 21st January 2023 in his home south of Mbabane, Eswatini, in what can only be described as a targeted killing.
He will always be remembered as a deeply ethical, generous and fearless leader.

We wish to express our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Rest in peace, Thulani.

During the HRDA graduation ceremony held in December 2022, the Vera Chirwa Award was announced and handed to two
graduates of the HRDA programme, Namibian Minister of Justice Honorable Yvonne Dausab and Malawian High Court Judge, Justice Redson Kapindu.
Congratulations to both of them.

The Centre for Human Rights commemorated World Human Rights Day by hosting its annual Graduation ceremony on 9 December 2022. Congratulations to the TWENTY SIX new members of the HRDA Alumni Association for making it. We wish them well in their future endeavours.

'PRETORIA MAFIA' from different cohorts beginning 2007 to 2021 dominate the first annual consultation meeting between NHRIs and CSOs to take stock of the implementation of the Paris Principles and the Marrakesh Declaration on the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa held on 5 and 6 December 2022 at Marriot Hotel in Accra, Ghana.

Charles Kajoloweka (Malawi, Class 2021) was invited by the UN Office for Human Rights to join the 4th session of the UN Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law' in Geneva. The panel interrogated the impact of COVID-19 on democracy, human rights and the rule of law and ways of building back better.
Bravo!
Charles Kajoloweka

HRDA alumni met at the 40th Ordinary Session African Children's Committee in Maseru, Lesotho 2022

Centre for Human Rights alumna appointed as new UNAIDS Director, Influence and Partnerships

The Centre for Human Rights (Centre), Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is pleased to share the news of the appointment of its alumna, Muleya Mwananyanda, as the Director, Influence and Partnerships for UNAIDS.
Muleya, a Zambian national, completed her LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa with the Centre in 2006. She currently serves as the Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Amnesty International, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has, in the past, served as Amnesty International’s Regional Director Research and as Oxfam International’s Head of Campaign and Policy, Gender, Peace and Livelihoods in Ethiopia. Her prolific journalism has also been one of her career highlights. This saw her launch ‘The Afronet File’, a quarterly publication of the Inter-African Network for Human Rights and Development.
The Director of the Centre, Prof Frans Viljoen commended Muleya for her unrelenting commitment to advance human rights on the continent and beyond. “Africa and its people are set to prosper if human rights advocates like Muleya continue to bring about positive change. With World Aids Day fast approaching, Muleya’s appointment is a timely reminder that much still needs to be done in the fight against HIV and AIDS around the world.”

The Centre for Human Rights alumna inaugurated as Deputy Registrar of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights

The Centre for Human Rights (Centre) alumna, Grace Wakio Kakai, has been appointed the new Deputy Registrar of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (African Court).
She was sworn in on 7 November 2022, as the Court started its 67th Ordinary Session in Arusha, Tanzania.
Grace, who is a Kenyan national, completed her LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa with the Centre, in 2006. She previously served as Head of the African Court’s Legal Division.
“The best wishes of all of us at the Centre for Human Rights go to Grace. We wish her well in her new role of Deputy Registrar of the African Court. We know she is fully equipped for the task ahead. Her professionalism and enthusiasm will no doubt enable her to help steer the Court through troubled times. The Centre is proud of the role graduates like Grace are able to play in advancing human rights on the African continent”, said Prof. Frans Viljoen, Director
of the Centre.

Another Centre graduate, Dr Horace Adjolohoun, has in the meantime been appointed as the Acting Head of the Legal Division of the Court.

We are pleased to share with you that one of our alumni, Kithure Kindiki (Class 2000), is the new Interior Minister in Kenya.
Congratulations to him and we wish him a successful journey ahead.
#2000

73rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission where 36 graduates were attending, the largest number ever together at one of these ‘informal alumni meetings’.
‘Representatives’ ranged from the Pioneers (the HRDA Class of 2000) to the most recent graduates (HRDA Class of 2021). And there were still a few others attending the Session, who could not make it!
The gathering provided an opportunity for alumni to get acquainted and forge links across year groups, and to find energy in solidarity.

Big congratulations to Benjamin Tonga, an alumnus of the HRDA Class 2021, who has recently been appointed as Human Rights Officer, United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

We wish him all the very best as he starts this new journey.
#2021

Nominations are now open for the 2018 Vera Chirwa Award. It is an award that seeks to recognize and applaud the significant difference being made around the world through the dedicated work of HRDA alumni.

To nominate, please use this link: https://goo.gl/forms/qnqU0p9Zq2Z6R60l1

Deadline: 31 October 2018

Pictured here are the 2016 recipients of the award - Dr. Patrick Eba (class of 2004) and Mr. Adrian Jjuuko (class of 2013) along with Prof. Frans Viljoen