Nicholas Barnes (Chairperson)
Jozi Housing
Nic has a cross section of skills over 25 years which include working in small businesses, his own ventures, and in large corporates.
Since 2012 he has been CEO at Jozi Housing, which owns and manages over 3 000 inner city residential units and 20 000m² of retail and commercial space.
Here he has found his passion: inner city rejuvenation and affordable housing, and to see “bad buildings refurbished and brought back to life – the homes it provides, the people it employs, the taxes it pays, the communities that develop”.
And what is even more fulfilling for him is to see precincts and neighbourhoods being created.
“It’s good to be part of addressing a national need, to be genuinely striving to provide a good service and constantly improving the environment, to build the communities – this is a worthy thing to be doing.”
David Van Niekerk (Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer)
David brings over 30 years’ experience in urban development and public sector planning. As a founding director of the Gauteng Precinct Management Association and former Head of the Neighbourhood Development Programme at National Treasury, he introduced the Urban Network Strategy and helped establish the South African Precinct Management Initiative. He led the technical team that developed the Johannesburg Walkable Network and holds a B.Sc. in City Planning and an M.SC. in Real Estate (Distinction) from the University of Pretoria.
Connect with David on LinkedIn
Christopher Lund
Chris has a background in human resources, finance, administration and strategic planning, but his overriding passion is for the homeless, where he has served in various capacities for their betterment for the past 25 years. He admits to having had a passion for Joburg for the same number of years. His other passion is housing – he is the director and company secretary of the Madulammoho Housing Association, which has grown its housing units from 67 to 2 100 over the past 13 years. His desire is to see the city’s poorer citizens decently housed, and to that end he is in the process of establishing the Johannesburg Homeless Network. The network strives to connect citizen volunteers, non-governmental and faith-based organisations, researchers, and government departments, in an effort to raise awareness and support to the homeless. Besides raising funding, it aims to help develop new facilities and initiate new projects on a neighbourhood basis, getting communities to help solve the homeless problem. “At heart I am a social justice guy.”
Connect with Chris on LinkedIn
Rudolph Petersen (Alternate)
University of Johannesburg
With a BA in psychology, a master’s diploma in human resource management, and an MBA, Rudy is at present Senior Manager: Government and Stakeholder Relations at the University of Johannesburg. This role includes development, fundraising and community engagement.
He has 24 years’ experience in student affairs, recruitment and development at UJ, as well as lecturing experience at Unisa. His particular passion is universities and development – his PhD thesis is entitled The role of universities in regional economic development.
This is especially important as he is based in Johannesburg, the economic hub of South Africa. As to what drives him in particular, Rudy says: “The success of regions globally.”
Lusanda Netshitenshe
TUHF21
Lusanda is a commercial property and affordable housing professional with over 18 years of industry experience. Her direct experience includes corporate governance, property finance, property development, property management, fundraising & asset management. She has been actively involved in affordable housing policy formulation & implementation, managing housing stock, credit control; as well as tenant and community development. Lusanda holds a Master of Business Leadership from UNISA and a Master of Science in Development Planning from the University of the Witwatersrand.
With regards to Lusanda’s hopes about the inner-city:
“I have worked in both the inner-city of Johannesburg and eThekwini and have been bothered by the rapid deterioration of these areas. I hope to see inner-cities transformed into safe and clean neighborhoods where families can thrive, raise children without fear and be able to simply walk to work, schools and grocery stores within their communities without fear. I long to see an inner-city with clean parks and open green areas for kids to play and grow into well adjusted citizens of this beautiful country.”
Connect with Lusanda on LinkedIn
Dale Jeevanantham (Alternate)
Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator
“My hopes for the inner city are very much in line with the JICP vision for the inner-city. I want an inner-city that is Safe, Welcoming and Clean. As a built environment professional, I’m a Quantity Surveyor by training, all things construction, development and architectural have always held an interest for me. Over the last few years I’ve started to be drawn to purpose built communities, which is a concept I first heard about from an organisation of the same name. I sincerely believe that lasting change in communities can only be achieved by providing an holistic approach to programme design. In the case of purpose built communities it’s: mixed income housing, community wellness and an education pipeline. If you look at the JICP vision you’ll see similarities and it’s for this reason that I believe the JICP has a pivotal role to play in the revitalisation of the Inner City.”
Connect with Dale on LinkedIn
Penny Foley
Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator
Penny is the Chief Community Partnerships Officer at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, having worked in the South African development sector since 1989.
Her areas of focus are youth development, employment creation, human rights and working with civil society organisations to increase their impact.
Connect with Penny on LinkedIn
Xolani Dlwati
Xolani Dlwathi is a seasoned leader with a passion for upholding human dignity and fostering socio-economic well-being within and beyond South African communities. With extensive experience in senior leadership roles, he has successfully spearheaded collaborative projects, bridging communities, government bodies and ecclesiastical organisations to advance human rights and holistic development. His journey reflects a dedication to servant leadership, holistic impact, and advocacy for dignified living.
As a priest within the Anglican church and former Dean of the Anglican Diocese of Johannesburg (2015-2022), Xolani served as a key liaison between the Church and inner-city initiatives, fostering strategic partnerships with local and provincial government. His experience in organisational transformation and community development has been instrumental in bridging diverse stakeholders to address urban challenges and promote sustainable development.
Xolani holds a Master’s in Theology from the University of South Africa and currently serves as Convener of the Moral Regeneration Movement in Gauteng Province and Chairperson of the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Johannesburg Precinct Board. His commitment to collaborative leadership and cross-sector partnerships makes him a valuable contributor to Johannesburg’s inner-city development initiatives.
