Student Essay Competition 2025/2026

Isabella Potenza is completing her undergraduate degree in Law and Geography at the University of the Witwatersrand, with the intention to begin her LLB in 2022. She is part of the Climate Justice Charter Movement and has experience in managing youth initiatives. She hopes to extend the reach of the ELA to the youth. In her legal career, she hopes to contribute to environmental law-making, with a focus on bringing social justice and public participation to the fore.

Rochine Melandri Steenkamp is a Researcher at the Global Environmental Law Centre (GELC) in the Faculty of Law, University of the Western Cape (UWC). Melandri holds an LLB and an LLM in Environmental Law and Governance obtained from the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus (NWU). She graduated with her LLD (doctorate in Law), concentrating on law and governance responses to optimise water security in South African cities in 2023. The research for this degree was conducted under the auspices of the South African Research Chair in Cities, Law, and Environmental Sustainability (CLES), also based at the NWU. She teaches Environmental Law (LLB undergrad), Advanced Environmental Law, and International Environmental Law (LLM modules) at UWC. She is also responsible for undergraduate and postgraduate research supervision. Her academic research primarily revolves around exploring perspectives on urban law and governance, particularly at the intersection of environmental law, climate change, energy, biodiversity, and water law.

John Rantlo (LLB, LLM, LLD) is a lecturer at the University of Pretoria, and Director of the Extractive Industries Law in Africa Unit at the University of Pretoria. He holds an LLB from the National University of Lesotho, an LLM in Environmental Law and Governance from the North-West University (NWU), and LLD from NWU. He is an admitted Advocate of the High Court of Lesotho. During his LLD studies, John served as a temporary lecturer at NWU, wherein he lectured on Administrative Law, Fundamental Rights, and Administrative Law in Law Enforcement (Policing Practice), Environmental Law and Statutory Interpretation.  John’s scholarship is devoted to environmental impact assessments, climate change law, and local government law.

Nicolene Renske Steyn is a post-doctoral fellow at the South African Research Chair: Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability (CLES) where she researches the linkages between sustainability law, climate resilient development and technological advancements in the South African urban context. She obtained both her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Master of Laws (LLM) degrees with distinction from the North-West University. Her PhD in Law and Development concerned the realisation of the constitutional water right in South African cities through intelligent water management technologies, and she completed this research at CLES and the North-West University. Nicolene’s research interests include Environmental Law, Water Law, Climate Change and Resilience, Human Rights, Socio-Economic Rights, International Humanitarian Law, Technology and Innovation.

Ntando Ncamane is a lecturer in the Faculty of Law at University of the Free State at the Bloemfontein Campus, where he lectures Labour Law for both undergraduate and postgraduate and supervises LLM students. He also lectures Internet and Electronic Law as well as Consumer Law. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree, and a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the University of Fort Hare (UFH) and a Practical Legal Certificate (PLT) from the School of Legal Practice. He is currently enrolled for a Doctor of Laws degree (LLD) with the North West University (NWU) focusing on mineral rights, customary rights, and environmental rights.

Jenny is an Associate Professor in international environmental law and legal skills at the University of Johannesburg. Before joining the University in 2018 she consulted for many years to a range of sectors. During this time she drafted several pieces of legislation for government including the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 and the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008. Jenny has also been intimately involved in a number of policy and strategy processes including being the project manager and lead drafter of the National Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Strategy, 2014 for the Department of Environmental Affairs. Jenny hold BA (UCT) LLB (UCT) LLM (UNISA) and PhD (UCT) degrees. The title of her PhD thesis is The impact of judicial control on the public administration of the environment: 1995 to 2007.

Bella is a lecturer at the University of the Free State (UFS). She is a specialist in mining law. She holds a Bproc, LLB, LLM, Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution (cum laude)

Vicki has been working as an independent environmental consultant for over 28 years, during this time, she has undertaken or project managed over 300 environmental projects. She ran the Durban office of WSP for 13 years and reviewed every technical document produced in the office during this time. She set up MEC in 2006 and now undertakes predominantly review, management systems, training, facilitation, auditing and advisory work, calling on her many years experience in the field.
She has successfully compiled and carries out training courses in Sustainability, EIA and EIA review for various bodies.
She has completed her Masters in Environmental Law at the University of Natal, the research for which has provided her with a great insight into the legislative situation within the environmental profession.

Qualifications

• BSc (Rhodes University)
• LLB (Rhodes University)

Areas of Practice and Specialisation

• Commercial & Property Litigation
• Environmental Law & Planning
• Administrative Law
• Insurance Litigation
• Professional Indemnity
• Liability Claims
• Medical Malpractice
• Fidelity Guarantee claims

Contact Details
+27 31 570 5421

Patrick graduated from Rhodes University with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2004 and has completed his coursework towards a Master’s degree in Environmental Law at the University of KwaZulu Natal. Patrick joined Garlicke & Bousfield to serve his articles and, after being admitted as an attorney, he joined the Litigation Department as an Associate. Patrick was appointed as a Director in 2016 and specialises in insurance, property and environmental litigation. Patrick is a member of the Executive Committee of the Environmental Law Association of South Africa.

Adie is the owner of AdiEnvironmental cc (founded in 1999), based in eMalahleni (Witbank). She specialises in the coordination and compilation of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), which includes the coordination of the public participation process and overall project management. Adie holds an M. Sc (Botany) from the University of Port Elizabeth and is a trained ecologist. She is registered as a Professional Natural Scientist (botanist and ecological scientist) and is also a Registered Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) with 21 years of experience as an environmental consultant. Prior to being a consultant, Adie worked for the Mpumalanga provincial environmental department and assisted with the implementation of the first set of EIA Regulations.

Margot holds a LL.M in International Human Rights Law (Maastricht University, Netherlands); a Postgraduate Diploma in Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS, University of the Western Cape) and a LL.M in Environmental Law (University of Cape Town). Margot’s passion is Earth Jurisprudence and Environmental Justice and she is currently volunteering for the Australian Earth Laws Alliance as well. Margot started volunteering for the ELA after presenting at the ELA Annual Student Conference in 2018.

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Melanie Murcott is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Law, University of Cape Town. Previously she taught and engaged in research on environmental law and administrative law at the University of Pretoria. She holds an LLB cum laude from the University of Cape Town, an LLM cum laude (Masters in Administrative Law and Constitutional Law) from the University of Pretoria, and an LLD (Doctor of Laws in Constitutional Law) from North-West University. Her research focus is currently climate law and governance (in comparative perspective). Melanie is the author of ‘Transformative Environmental Constitutionalism’ (Brill, 2022), a book that explains the intersections among social, environmental and climate (in)justice in a time of planetary emergency, and how the courts in South Africa (and beyond) can contribute to developing law that is more suited to responding to injustice in this context.

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Ademola Oluborode Jegede is a Professor of Law in the Department of Public and International Law, University of Venda, and holds degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Ibadan and the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. He has been a research visitor to the Centre for International Environmental Law, USA and Human Rights Institute at Abo Akademi (Finland). He is a member of the IUCN Academy and Commission of Environmental Law. His research focuses on the interface of climate change and biodiversity with human rights of vulnerable groups and general international human rights law.

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Stewart Green is a Divisional Head for Legal Compliance at the City of Ekurhuleni (Gauteng), where he leads a team of Environmental Management Inspectors responsible for monitoring and enforcing environmental compliance in one of the most industrialised municipalities in Africa. Previously, he was the national co-ordinator for Section 30 of NEMA (environmental emergency incidents) at the DEA in Pretoria. He has worked for all three spheres of government and credits local government as being the most challenging of the three. He holds an MSc from Natal (UKZN) and an MPhil in environmental law from UCT.

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Clive Vinti is an evangelist at Heal the Wounds Christian Centre; Lecturer for Law at the University of the Free State (UFS), Programme Coordinator of the Postgraduate Module in Environmental law and Human Rights at the UFS Centre for Human Rights and also a PhD Candidate, at the Witwatersrand University. At UFS, Clive is responsible for teaching environmental law at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Clive’s research focuses on environmental law and international trade law and the concomitant issues that arise therein. Clive is also a member of the National Freedom Network and the Young African Leaders Initiative.

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Angela van der Berg is the Acting Director of the Global Environmental Law Centre (GELC) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Faculty of Law in South Africa. She is also a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Law and Jurisprudence where she runs and teaches the LLM (masters) Programme in Environmental Law. Angela obtained her joint PhD in Law and Development from Tilburg University, Netherlands in 2019 and from the North- West University, South Africa in May 2020. The PhD focussed on the role of urban planning and environmental law and policy for promoting sustainable cities. From this research, Angela published several accredited peer reviewed articles and book chapters on the role of environmental- and planning law for sustainable urban development as articulated in Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities). Angela’s current research relates to climate change and how government authorities (national, federal and local) can pursue more environmentally sustainable and climate resilient futures by rethinking and re- purposing existing approaches to law and governance. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8204-0679 email: 

Anél du Plessis is Professor of Law and the South African Research Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability. Her scholarship focuses on the nexus area of environmental-, local government and different aspects of human rights law, climate change law, sustainability and city governance. She is editor of the first extensive volume on South African environmental and local government law (Juta, 2015) and co-editor of “The Globalisation of Urban Governance” (Routledge, 2019). She is a rated researcher of the South African National Research Foundation (NRF), served as an elected member of the South African Young Academy of Science and is an alumnus of the scholarship programmes of the DAAD, Fulbright and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. She is also a member of the Teaching and Capacity Building Committee of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law.

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Professor Michael Kidd lectures in various aspects of Environmental law such as Pollution Control Law, Natural Resources Law, Land Use and Planning Law, International Environmental Law and Ocean and Coastal Law. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree, a Master of Laws (LLM) and a PhD from the University of Natal. Kidd’s research interests include Environmental Law, Water Law and Administrative Law and he has published extensively in these fields.

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Tanya is a full-time lecturer in the Faculty of Law at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth where she lectures Environmental Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Commercial Law. She holds an Honours degree in Human Movement Science (BA (HMS) Hons), a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree, and a Master of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Port Elizabeth and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, respectively. She is currently completing her LLD focusing on the intellectual property consequences of marine bioprospecting.

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Tendai is an environmental attorney at Webber Wentzel where he advises public and private sector clients on various environmental law matters including waste management, air quality, water rights, climate change, carbon tax, renewable energy and mining. He also provides strategic environmental legal support in respect of domestic and cross border mergers and acquisitions, listings and related transactions.

His expertise also includes dispute resolution involving the initiation and defending of administrative appeals as well as environmental litigation. He holds an LLB and LLM in Environmental & Sustainable Development Law from Wits University.

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Kate currently works as a Consultant Attorney for the specialist environmental law firm Cullinan & Associates. Kate was admitted as an attorney of the High Court in 2014. She commenced her career practicing in the fields of insolvency law and general commercial litigation, deciding to complete her LLM in Environmental Law while working for another specialist environmental law firm between 2014 and 2015. Kate also holds a BSocSci from Rhodes University and an LLB from the University of Cape Town. She advises a range of public and private sector clients on various environmental law related issues, and has been a member of the ELA Executive Committee since 2016. When she is not working, she can be found exploring the mountains and oceans of the Western Cape.

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Willemien du Plessis is a Professor at the Faculty of Law of the North-West University (Potchefstroom) and holds postgraduate degrees in law and environmental management. Willemien is the Director of Research and steers the Research Unit at her Faculty. She has extensively published in the area of environment and development law for many years. She has similarly been involved in various international, regional and domestic research projects involving development and environmental law. She teaches environmental law (undergraduate and postgraduate), and has been working on issues of energy law for some time. Willemien has served on the Secretariat of the ELA since 2006, is a Law Commissioner of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and a member of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law. She has been Chairperson of the Research Committee of the Academy since 2009.

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John Rantlo is currently enrolled for LLD at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus (NWU). He obtained his LLB at the National University of Lesotho in 2012. He was then admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Lesotho in 2013 and practised as such for some time. John obtained his LLM in Environmental Law and Governance at the NWU Potchefstroom Campus in 2015. His LLM dissertation focused on environmental impact assessment legislation of Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa. From 2017 to date, John has served as an academic assistant at the Faculty of Law at NWU. Additionally, he also served as a temporary lecturer for Administrative Law, Fundamental Rights and Administrative Law in Law Enforcement (Policing Practice).

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Germarié Viljoen (LLB, LLM, LLD) has previously consulted as environmental legal specialist. In 2014, Germarié joined the North West University (Faculty of Law) as legal scholar. She lectures, publishes and provides post-graduate supervision in the fields of constitutional, property and water law. Germarié is heading a research project entitled “Environmental Change” within the Faculty of Law and she serves as Assistant Editor of the Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal (PELJ). She is an alumnus of various international scholarships, which include the research and capacity building initiative of SANPAD (South Africa – Netherlands research Programme on Alternatives in Development); TraProBio; and a Global Water Partnership scholarship to undergo training on aspects of International Water Law at the University of Dundee, Scotland.

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Peter Kantor is an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa practising in Cape Town. He specialised in environmental law in the 1990’s when he was a partner in a law firm handling labour and constitutional law matters. Peter is currently an executive trustee of the Cape Town Heritage Trust.

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