Speakers

Professor Ben Turok MP (ANC)
Professor Ben Turok has been a member of the African National Congress alliance for five decades and a Member of Parliament in South Africa since 1995.  He is currently the Co-Chair of the Committee on Ethics and Member’s Interests of both Houses in Parliament, and the Chair of the ANC Parliamentary Committee on Political Education. Mr. Turok has three degrees, in engineering, philosophy and political science and is the author of 19 books on development in Africa.  He has taught at the Open University UK and the University of Zambia and lectured at many other universities across Africa. He is the Chairperson of the Network of African Parliamentarians (NAP), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has commissioned him to lead a team of senior researchers on value addition in natural resources in ten African countries. 




Shamiso Mtisi
Shamiso Mtisi is a lawyer with 11 years experience of working on environmental rights and justice issues in Zimbabwe. He holds a Honors Degree in Law from the University of Zimbabwe, and is today a lecturer at the same University. Mr Mtisi is also a legal practitioner with the High Court of Zimbabwe and a founding member of the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), where he works as an environmental lawyer and the Head of Programmes especially targeting the Marange diamond mining sector. Through this position Mtisi has published a number of research papers on mining and the extractive sector as well as advocacy work.
“The work I do is aimed at advancing environmental, economic, social and cultural rights as well as human rights for communities affected by mining operations.” 

Dr Bjørn Letnes
Dr. Bjørn Letnes is the Managing Director at Novora, a Norwegian petroleum management consultancy group. He holds a PhD in Political Science and a Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering. Dr. Letnes’ areas of expertise include Petroleum Operations, Petroleum Management, Political Risk, Integrated Operations, Change Management, and Organizational Development.

Simon Chol
Simon Chol is the Senior Programme Manager for the Oil Sector within Sudan Council of Churches, based in Juba, South Sudan. He comes from Panriang County of Unity State where about 50% of oil exploration of South Sudan and Sudan occurs. Mr Chol has 8 years’ experience working with national and international NGOs in South Sudan in senior positions. He has worked with the International Rescue Committee Kenya Program, Reconcile International and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, where he has built core competencies in peace building, oil issues, civic engagement and civic and voter education.

Yao Graham
Yao Graham is Coordinator of Third World Network-Africa (www.twnafrica.org) a pan-African research and advocacy organization whose work covers international trade and investment, gender and economic policy, and mining and development. He is also the current Africa Editor of the Review of African Political Economy (ROAPE). Mr. Graham has a PhD in law from Warwick University in the UK and a long history of activism and scholarship on Ghanaian and African development issues. He was a member of the International Study Group established by the UN-ECA which produced the Report “Minerals and Africa’s Development” published in 2011. 

Silas Olan’g
Silas is an Economist with 20 years in the development field. He holds a MSc. in Agricultural Development and Rural Finance from University of Bradford and an Advanced Diploma in Economic Planning from the Institute of Development Management (IDM) Mzumbe in Tanzania. As a development practitioner, Mr. Olan’g has served in various capacities and development programs including the European Development Fund-Micro Project Program, Same Agricultural Improvement Trust Fund, Financial Services-Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), and Joint Oxfam Livelihoods Initiatives for Tanzania. Currently Mr. Olan’g is working with Revenue Watch Institute in the capacity of Senior Regional Associate responsible for East and Southern Africa based in Dar es Salaam. He also serves in the technical working group of the Africa Mining Vision, the TEITI MSG, and Tanzania Interfaith Committee on Economic Justice and Integrity of Creation as technical advisor.



Shawn Hattingh
Shawn Hattingh lives in South Africa and works at the International Labour Research and Information Group (ILRIG), an NGO providing education, publications and research for the labour and social movements in South and Southern Africa. The main focus of the organisation’s work is globalisation, and it is informed by the view that globalisation is not a heightened form of international integration but an attempt to restructure class relations so as to restore capitalist profitability. 

Mike Solomon
Mike Solomon holds a BSc in Mining Engineering (Univ. Witwatersrand) and a MDP in Mine Management (Univ. South Africa). Formerly with Anglovaal as a Senior Mining Engineer: Steffen Robertson and Kristen as Principal Mining Engineer: Bateman Projects as Principal Mining Engineer and Mining Director at Mineral Corporation. From 1993 - with Minerals and Energy Group. African National Congress Department of Economic Planning: 1994 - Senior Policy Analyst. Minerals and Energy Policy Centre. In addition he is a Technical Adviser to the Royal Bafokeng Nation. Richtersveld Community and Bakubung Ba Ratheo Community. He is an Honorary Lecturer at the Centre for Energy, Minerals and Petroleum Law and Policy (Univ. Dundee) and Guest Lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand. Gordon Institute of Business Science and University of Pretoria as well as Senior Adviser to Raw Materials Group, Sweden. 



Andile Mngxitama
Mngxitama, who holds an MA in sociology from the University of Witwatersrand, is a leading Black Consciousness thinker and organizer. He co-edited Biko Lives! Contesting the Legacies of Steve Biko, a collection of essays on the philosophy and writings of B.C. leader, Steve Biko. The collection looks at the ongoing significance of Black Consciousness, situating it in a global framework, examining the legacy of Biko, the current state of post-apartheid South African politics, and the culture and history of the anti-apartheid movements. He is the editor of the New Frank Talk journal, columnist for the Sowetan, and regular writer for various other newspapers. 


Thapelo Ndlovu

Thapelo Ndlovu is the chairperson of Botswana Council of NGOs (BOCONGO). He is the immediate past National Director of Media Institute of Southern Africa (Botswana) and a journalist. He is one of the civil society, media and opinion leaders in the country, having contributed in a number of national dialogues across all levels. He is the founding and former board member of Press Council of Botswana. Ndlovu is a published author and contributor to a number of publications such as the IDASA`s democracy index. His new project, Sniffdog magazine, currently being distributed via e-mail, aims to use various media to motivate freedom of expression, including access to information. 


Caroline Ntaopane
Caroline Ntaopane is a coordinator at the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance. She has a certificate in Environmental Law, Environmental Management and Climate Change Risk and Strategies with Northwest University, and studied communication and climate change risk and strategies at the Mineral Energy Education Training Institution. Ntaopane has worked for a number of organizations such as the African Sasolburg Environmental Committee and the National Congress. In 2003, she started the Sasolburg Air Quality Monitoring Committee and a year later she worked for the Group for Environmental Monitoring (GEM), one of the biggest environmental organizations in South Africa. She has also been the Chairperson of the South African Climate Change Board.



Dr Onalenna Doo Selolwane
Dr Selolwane is a senior lecturer in the Sociology Department at the University of Botswana. She holds an M.Phil in Development Studies from the University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom and a PhD in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom. Dr Selolwane is a renowned academic who is widely published in accredited journals, book chapters, monographs and occasional papers in the areas of politics, development and gender. She has undertaken regional and international research on many topics ranging from governance and civil society to the environment.



Gavin Hartford
Executive Director, The Esop Shop (Pty) Ltd (awaiting update on bio)