THOKO MKHWANAZI-XALUVA - CHAIRPERSON OF THE CRL RIGHTS COMMISSION.

Thoko was born and raised in Durban. She studied at the University of Fort Hare and the University of Zululand. She holds a degree, a post graduate degree and a post graduate diploma from the two institutions. She was a teacher and a student counsellor in her earlier career life. She later worked as a researcher in Early Childhood Development. She was also responsible for setting up the first Office on the Rights of the Child in the Presidency as the head of that office. She then moved to being a consultant on the rights of women and children with a special focus on the impact of culture and religion on the realisation of those rights. She then moved to the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) as a Director for Public Education. She then also became the Chairperson of the Arts, Culture and National Heritage Distributing Agency of the National Lotteries Board. She is passionate about building the capacity of Non Profit Organisations in order for them to play an even bigger role in development. She is a mother, a child rights and gender equity activist. She is currently the Chairperson of the CRL Rights Commission.