Blind SA Office Bearers
President – Christoffel (Christo) de Klerk
Christo from Alberton in Ekurhuleni Gauteng, matriculated from the School for the Blind in Worcester, now known as Pioneer School for the Visually Impaired in 1967.He obtained his BA (Law) Degree in 1970 and his LLB Degree in 1972 at the University of Stellenbosch, and ran a private practice as an Advocate at the Cape Town Bar from 1973 to 1979.
Career
- From July 1979 to June 1985 he worked as a Computer Programmer at Standard Bank in Johannesburg and was one of the first class of three blind computer programmers to be trained at Standard Bank. This training was a joint venture of the SA National Council for the Blind and Standard Bank.
- From July, 1985 to December, 1988 he worked at the Pioneer School for the Visually Impaired in Worcester. Christo’s job there had two major components, namely: he had to initiate computerized braille production and develop a braille translation table for Afrikaans braille and taught various computer subjects for learners from standard 5 up to post matric, mercantile law for standards 8 to 10 and braille for some of the lower standards. He was also instrumental in setting up an agreement with Sanlam for the joint training of computer programmers and their employment at Sanlam.
- In January 1989 he joined the then United Bank (now part of Absa Bank) as a computer programmer until retirement at the end of October, 2012
Braille:
Apart from the fact that he has been a braille user since he started to school, he developed a keen interest in braille and have maintained a close involvement in braille related matters over many years. This includes overseeing braille production at Braille Services, braille teaching and training, braille promotion and development, development of translation tables for all our local languages for the Duxbury Braille Translation system, serving in and later chairing the braille authority and more than 20 years’ involvement in the work of ICEB, especially the development of the Unified English Braille code. Recently, on 15 March 2024, Christo was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by SADA (South African Disability Alliance)
Vice-President – Thakani Masuka
Originating from the dusty paths of Vhurivhuri (Nwini) village in Limpopo, Thakhani Ozeus Masuka was born in 1987 on the 1st of December. He has two younger brothers and is currently residing in Pretoria. Mr. Masuka is part of the Executive Committee at Blind SA serving as the Vice President of the organization he also serves as the Board Member of the Information Communication Technology Sector Charter Council. Thakhani describes himself as a man of conviviality who loves reading and listening to music with a great phobia of Corruption-it’s no surprise he obtained an undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in political sciences at the University of South Africa with these qualifications it has enabled him to comprehend the burning need to expedite the agenda of disability transformation, as an activist both personally & professionally, it was of utmost importance to have adequate political intellect to efficiently tackle issues around discrimination, corruption and the unfair administering of equal opportunities of employment and academic access to people with disabilities- this resonates much with Mr. Masuka especially since he too experienced the struggle of sending out numerous job applications and getting no feedback, “Many institutions do not easily consider persons with visual impairments for employment opportunities”- Says Thakhani.
Thakhani is most grateful for the healthy life he has and all the opportunities that he has received, his role model and supporter is former president Thabo Mbeki – a true political muse in his career. One of the principles Thakhani lives by is- It does not matter how slow you go, what matter is to keep on walking on the journey that will lead you to success despite the setbacks.
TREASURER – TOMMIE LEHMKÜHL
Tommie Lehmkühl residing in Pretoria matriculated from the School for the Blind Worcester and obtained an Honours degree in Psychology from UNISA. He had a long career in the public service as an HR specialist and Training Facilitator. He retired in 2019 and is able to devote a lot of time to his volunteer work for Blind SA.
He has been the chairperson of the Advocacy & Information Committee and he is the currently the chairperson of the board of Blind SA NPC and is the reassurer at Blind SA.
-
For more information, kindly contact
Jace Nair – CEO: email-ceo@blindsa.org.za /cell- 060 967 0258
Contact details: treasurer@blindsa.org.za
Mobile phone 079 871 7601
Office Bearers
|
Name and Surname |
Position |
Email Address |
Contact Number |
Branch |
Municipality |
|
Christo de Klerk |
President |
082 822 2706 |
BWO Orion |
Gauteng/Alberton |
|
|
Thakhani Masuka |
Vice President |
067 852 4088 |
BWO Orion |
Gauteng/Pretoria |
|
|
Tommie Lehmkühl |
Treasurer |
treasurer@blindsa.org.za |
065 956 6688 |
BWO Orion |
Gauteng/Pretoria |
Accessible Publications, Equipment and Assistive Devices
|
Name and Surname |
Position |
Email Address |
Contact Number |
Branch |
Municipality |
|
Eric Gama |
Chairperson |
065 956 6688 |
Progressive Centre |
Free State/Bloemfontein |
|
|
Jonas Ndlovu |
Member |
068 575 6530 |
BWO Orion |
Gauteng/Pretoria |
|
|
Lekhatla Likhokha |
Member |
072 772 7911 |
Progressive Centre |
Free state/Bloemfontein |
|
|
Kamohelo Mathibela |
Member |
0827461176 0684149249 |
Reikamohetse Qwaqwa |
Free State/Qwaqwa |
Advocacy and Information
|
Name and Surname |
Position |
Email Address |
Contact Number |
Branch |
Municipality |
|
Lungi Mdingi |
Chairperson |
082 782 1222 060 977 5087 |
House of Hope |
Gauteng/Randfontein |
|
|
Abraham Allies |
Member |
072 635 0036 |
Blind SA Peninsula |
Western Cape/Wellington |
|
|
Frankford Williams |
Member |
083 715 7546 |
Blind SA Peninsula |
Western Cape/Eersterivier
|
|
|
Lindiwe Manana |
Member |
0712619162 0810437195 |
SA Vision of the Blind |
KZN/Pietermaritzburg |
|
|
Nicole Roos |
Member |
0829212049 |
BWO Orion |
Gauteng/Pretoria |
Economic Empowerment
|
Name and Surname |
Position |
Email Address |
Contact Number |
Branch |
Municipality |
|
Sello Mabusela |
Chairperson |
076 010 0673 |
NOW IS THE TIME |
Limpopo/Bela Bela |
|
|
Chris Van de Vyver |
Member |
072 528 3438 |
Blind SA Peninsula |
Western Cape/Cape Town |
|
|
Clerk Mokoena |
Member |
083 5041 311 |
Reikamohetse Qwaqwa |
Free State/Wetsieshoek |
|
|
Godfrey Lebyane |
Member |
0606294713
|
LESEDI BLIND ASSOCIATION. |
Mpumalanga/Bushbuckridge |
|
|
Lekhatla Likhokha |
Member |
072 772 7911 |
Progressive Centre |
Free State/Bloemfontein |
Education and ECD
|
Name and Surname |
Position |
Email Address |
Contact Number |
Branch |
Municipality |
|
Bawinile Mdunyelwa |
Chairperson |
chairperson.education@blindsa.org.za bawinile.zungu@kznhealth.gov.za 14bawinilemdunyelwa@gmail.com |
071 308 3824 |
SA Vision of the Blind |
KZN/Pietermaritzburg |
|
Cindy Mullins-Williams |
Member |
0783717067 |
Blind SA Peninsula |
Western Cape/Eersterivier |
|
|
Estelle Roos |
Member |
079 918 9633 |
BWO Orion |
Gauteng/Pretoria |
|
|
Shirley Mashile |
Member |
063 011 0050 068 437 4283 |
Reikamohetse Qwaqwa |
Free State/Wetsieshoek |
|
|
Mpini Lethlage |
Member |
068 587 9523 |
House of Hope |
Gauteng/Kagiso |
Women and GBVF
|
Name and Surname |
Position |
Email Address |
Contact Number |
Branch |
Municipality |
|
Mpini Lethlage |
Chairperson |
068 587 9523 |
House of Hope |
Gauteng/Kagiso |
|
|
Caireen van der Vyver |
Member |
083 502 9777 |
Blind SA Peninsula |
Western Cape/Cape Town |
|
|
Gloria Maputla |
Member |
072 433 1030 |
Hans Arise and Shine |
Limpopo/Mokopane |
|
|
Lindelwa Ndzukuma |
Member |
078 4676 056 072 403 9929 |
Masihlume Organisation for the Blind |
Eastern Cape/Gqeberha |
|
|
Nancy Netshituni |
Member |
060 695 3057 076 930 2661 |
Vukani Ma-Afrika
|
Gauteng/Pretoria |
Youth
|
Name and Surname |
Position |
Email Address |
Contact Number |
Branch |
Municipality |
|
Jonas Ndlovu |
Chairperson |
068 575 6530 |
BWO Orion |
Gauteng/Pretoria |
|
|
Amogelang Dibe |
Member |
064 810 3004 |
BWO Orion |
Gauteng/Hammanskraal |
|
|
Badroeneisah Joubert |
Member |
063 494 7503 |
Blind SA Peninsula |
Western Cape/Bellville |
|
|
Kamogelo Maree |
Member |
078 853 2408 |
House of Hope |
Gauteng/Kagiso |
|
|
Thabo Sejane |
Member |
060 422 9904 |
BWO Orion |
Gauteng/Johannesburg |