People of the Institute

Eve Annecke is the founding director of the Sustainability Institute. She is co-founder of Lynedoch Development and the Lynedoch EcoVillage. She has worked for many years in organisational learning, with a special focus on process facilitation, dialogue and leadership. She has been an early childhood development worker and is a Montessori pre- and primary educationist. Her Masters in Management Learning through Lancaster University, UK, focussed on the relationship between sustainability and the practice of leadership.

Professor Mark Swilling is Programme Coordinator: Sustainable Development in the School of Public Leadership, University of Stellenbosch and Academic Director of the Sustainability Institute.  He is a rated researcher with the National Research Foundation (NRF) and is responsible for the design and implementation of a Master’s Programme in Sustainable Development that gets delivered at the Sustainability Institute which is located in the Lynedoch EcoVillage, Stellenbosch. He is also Project Leader of the TsamaHub and on the Management Board of the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies. (For his detailed CV click here.)

Summary of key staff and roles:

Masters Programme in Sustainable Development (including the Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Development and the Mphil in Sustainable Development) – Programme Coordinator: Prof Mark Swilling; Deputy-PRogramme Coordinator: Prof Alan Brent.

Sustainable Agriculture – Project Co-ordinator, Candice Kelly (MPhil in Sustainable Development Planning and Management) with Gareth Haysom (MPhil in Sustainable Development Planning and Management), Eric Swarts (organic farmer) and Dr Tarak Kate (Dharamitra, India).

Early Childhood Development – Project Co-ordinator, Naledi Mabeba (registered assessor in ECD, many years Montessori teaching and training, National Diploma in ECD) supported by trainee trainer Ross van Niekerk (Level 5 ECD qualification, registered on RPL National Diploma in ECD) and Pru Ramsey (registered assessor, HED teaching, and U.S Montessori training) running ETDP SETA accredited training for women in very poor areas. Veronica Gelant who runs the Lynedoch Baby Centre with assistance from Christelle Johnson.

Youth - The Changes Aftercare youth group, at this stage for local children and teenagers, is co-ordinated by Chantel Scott and Anton Otto, the youth learning co-ordinator.

ECD and Youth are well supported by Tracy Ward as project support and co-ordination.

Learning for Sustainability, (registered Further Education and Training College, section 21 company) is led by Manda Mabeba, learning co-ordinator, (diploma in project management and completed the Grail’s Training for Transformation and enrolled in Development Studies at UNISA), Litha Magida (registered MPhil in Sustainable Development Planning and Management) provides curriculum development and training expertise, working together with Terrence Ward on sustainable community development; the SI project with the National Department of Human Settlements and youth skills for sustainable development.

PA to Eve Annecke and Projects Co-ordinator- June Stone, (B.A. HDE from UWC)

Special Projects and Finance support - Louise Bezuidenhout (Chartered Account with a masters in tax) 

Reception and resources co-ordinator: Tania Klink (funky dress designer and brilliant organiser)

Partnership with Stellenbosch Doctoral Programme in Transdisciplinary Study of Complexity and Sustainability through the TSAMA hub: John van Breda

SI Projects - contract research and consulting: Blake Robinson.

Research Fellows: Jess Schulschenk and Luke Metelerkamp(both MPhil in Sustainable Development Planning and Management)  

Administration and Guests

Operations Co-ordinator – Gairo Valentyn (9 years hospitality experience, events management, restaurant and banqueting management ex-Spier) – to co-ordinate events, accommodation, visitors, tours, shop, gardens, and other projects.

Guest House supervision – Nomsie Johnson (longest employed person by Lynedoch Development and the Sustainability Institute).

Driver – Kerneels Claasen (born at Lynedoch, and part of this community all his life).

Finances – Rene Human (book-keeper, ex-Cape Minolta after 14 years of working in this business) working with Shaun Claasen (ECD project co-ordinator, financial administrator, Certificate in Book-keeping and IT) together with Colleen Erasmus and Anlo Lintvelt as Finance Administrators.

Gardens and Grounds - Bryce Anderson and Kiepie Arendse

Our core partners are the School of Public Leadership, Stellenbosch University; Spier, the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, a network of ECD service providers and CORC – the NGO working in partnership with the Federation of the Urban Poor.

Eve Annecke, June Stone, Naledi Mabeba and Louise Bezuidenhout are responsible for the programming, projects and daily operations of the Institute. This group is accountable to a board that consists of Lawrence Boya, Adrian Enthoven, Gita Goven (Chair), Naledi Mabeba, Edgar Pieterse, and Eve Annecke (ex officio).

Beatrix Steenkamp is the Academic Programme Administrator employed by Stellenbosch University in the School of Public Leadership based at the Sustainability Institute.  Jennifer Saunders (library resources coordinator). Anneke Muller and Firoz Khan are all based in offices on Main Campus in Stellenbosch. This group brings together the required mix of developmental activism, academic experience and administrative expertise in democratisation, management development, sustainable development, local economies, cities, local government and civil society. Alan Brent is professor within the SPL, also associate director of the CRSES, and based at the Sustainability  Institute, together with Mark Swilling.