Our Team

MCSJ is a membership organisation, and most of our members are women. As a grassroots organisation, we have a number of volunteers and community organisers that work throughout our chapters and with various community members. MCSJ was founded by local leaders, including Mandla Majola, a veteran activist from Gugulethu whose work has been both informed by and deeply impactful towards his community. His activism began in the early 2000s, with his involvement in the Treatment Action Campaign to fight for access to HIV medication, and he has continued advocating for his community since then.

Our current leadership team is composed of Charles Lunga George, our overall coordinator, Fiona Vuyokazi Dlangamandla, our finance manager, Vatiswa Bhokwana, our office administrator, and Thandokazi Njamela, our programme coordinator. Each of these leaders have decades of experience in health and community activism. MCSJ is currently in the process of constituting an Advisory Board to assist with a combination of strategy and oversight.

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Finance and Campaign Manager

Phelisa Dlangamandla

Phelisa has been a dedicated activist and literary advocate since 1999, empowering young people through education and social justice. Prior to MCSJ, she has contributed to the South African Mobile Library Association (SAMLA), helping kids from ages 6-16 read and write.

In 2018, she joined MCSJ as a volunteer, but she quickly became a cherished leader within the movement. In 2020, she was elected Treasurer General, where she now continued to support the movement’s mission through managing its finances.

Phelisa currently coordinates the campaign for the construction of the District Hospital in Gugulethu, advocating for improved access to quality healthcare to those in Gugulethu and surrounding poor marginalized communities. Her work displays a lifelong passion for advancing education and healthcare through grassroots action.

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Coordinator

Lunga George

Lunga was born and raised in Gugulethu and Khayelitsha. He attended Sithembele Matiso High School, formerly known as X3 High School, where he got bit by the activism bug. He was involved in the Young Romans Football Club which played a huge role in his personal and professional development.

In 2004, he worked at The Parent Centre as a teen parenting and fatherhood program facilitator. Through this organisation, he became one of the founders of MCSJ in 2016. He served as MCSJ’s treasurer from 2016 to 2020, where he felt it was time to develop other comrades. He’s served his community at different levels – through sports, community building projects, street committees, and organizing schools.

He currently acts as coordinator to oversee programs and staff members of the movement. He commits his time and services to all of MCSJ's programs.

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Programme Manager

Thandokazi Njamela

In her role at MCSJ, Thandokazi oversees programme implementation, supports community organising forums, coordinates campaigns, and works closely with volunteers and community members to strengthen participatory democracy and social accountability. Her work includes community mobilisation, social audits, campaign strategy, and political education, all aimed at ensuring that public institutions are responsive to the needs of the people they serve.

Thandokazi is a co-founder of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC), a grassroots social movement that advocates for improved safety, justice, and access to basic services in working-class communities. Through SJC, she was actively involved in criminal justice and local government campaigns, including advocacy linked to the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of Police Inefficiency and a Breakdown in Relations between the Police and the Community. This work focused on policing accountability, community safety, and justice reform.

Office Administrator

Vatiswa Bhokwana

Vatiswa is a dedicated Office Administrator at MCSJ, a role she has held since 2024. She is also an active community leader in the Khikhi area of Gugulethu, Cape Town, where she works closely with community members to address local challenges and promote development initiatives.

Vatiswa began her professional career as an Assistant Teacher in the Eastern Cape, where she developed a passion for working with people and supporting community development. After moving to Cape Town, she gained valuable experience working at Metrofile as a Data Capturer, where she strengthened her administrative and organisational skills.

In her current role at MCSJ, Vatiswa is responsible for managing office operations, organizing files, and ensuring efficient administrative processes. Her role also extends to supporting community programs and contributing to initiatives that aim to uplift and empower local residents.

In Remembrance

In loving memory of the dedicated MCSJ activists who are no longer with us. We honor them and celebrate the lasting impact of their work. May their passion, dedication, and everlasting efforts never be forgotten.

Ncedisa Qabazi

Chairperson

Sindile Danster

Volunteer

Andile Mandondile

Men's Forum Facilitator

Mhlobo Gunguluzi

Unemployment Campaign Leader

Mzwandile Lugogo

Men's Forum Facilitator

Our Chapters

MCSJ is comprised of 11 chapters. It is important to note that they are called chapters rather than branches, as each one focuses on a specific area with its own unique challenges and stories to tell. For instance, Chapter One successfully campaigned for a fence from the Department of Education. For further reference, each chapter sends representatives to the various forums, including a member from the Youth Forum, the Men’s Forum, and the STF. Depending on the chapter, meetings range from once a week to once a month, and the leadership structure consists of a chairperson, a secretary, and an organizer.

Gugulethu Chapters

Nobantu
Crossroads
Lower Crossroads
Philippi
NY71

Khayelitsha chapters:

SST
Green Point
BT
Taiwan
RR Section
CCT Section

If you're interested in joining, learn more here.

Our Chapters

Our Partners

MCSJ is a membership-based organisation that collaborates with a wide range of individuals and organisations insides and outside the communities where we work.

Our local community partners include:

Activist Education and Development Centre (AEDC)
Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC)
Equal Education
People's Health Movement (PHM)
Sonke Gender Justice (Sonke)
The Parent Centre
Treatment Action Campaign (TAC)
UniteBehind
Igunya Neighborhood Watch Federation
Gugulethu Development Forum
Gugulethu Health Forum
Africa Unite

Our university partners have included:

The University of Cape Town (UCT)
The University of Virginia
Boston University
The University of the Western Cape (UWC)
Brown University
York University
London School of Economics
International Labour Research and Information Group (ILRIG)

MCSJ is also supported by:

Local faith-based organisations, including the JL Zwane Presbyterian Church
Community groups such as the Gugulethu Sports Council, the Gugulethu Football Association, and Neighborhood Watch structures
Organisations focused on youth development, men's health, and community empowerment, including:
- Amadoda Aqotho
- BEN Bikes
- Cry of the Xcluded
- Eh!Woza
- Langa for Men

Together, these partners share a commitment to the power of collaborative action and people power in the fight for social justice in Gugulethu and surrounding communities.