The Trust

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Dumisa Buhle Ntsebeza SC (Chairperson)

A distinguished lawyer, Advocate Ntsebeza was one of South Africa’s most prominent political activists during the apartheid era.

In 1976 he was arrested and imprisoned during his tenure as a school teacher. While serving a long prison term for his political activism, he completed his studies for a law degree through a distance-learning programme. Following his release from prison, he obtained his articles and was admitted as an attorney in 1984. During his early career he defended political prisoners and other victims of apartheid.

In 1995 he was appointed as a Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) set-up to investigate apartheid-era human rights violations. He became the Head of the Investigative Unit and also of its Witness Protection Programme. He also served occasionally as Deputy and Acting Chair.

During 2005, he took silk and on being appointed as Senior Counsel by the State President, he became the first African advocate in the history of the Cape Bar to be conferred the status of silk.

Today, he is a member of the Cape Bar and maintains his legal practice. In addition, he also serves as Chairman of the Board of the blue chip South African multinational distribution business, Barloworld Limited.

He is chairman of the Desmond Tutu Peace Trust and a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. He is a member of the advisory board of the Foundation for Human Rights Association; chairman of Arbitration Forum Limited and chairperson of the Cape Town branch of the Black Lawyer’s Association.

He also holds the position of chairman of SA History Archive Trust and Mnyama Holdings; is a director of MLN Investments CC, Ubuntu-Botho Investments (Western Cape) Limited, and Off-Shore Fishing Company (Pty) Limited.

He is an internationally recognised public speaker and author.