Oyama Vanto
Chairperson
Oyama has worked in the creative and cultural sector, civil society, academia, and government for almost two decades as a cultural development management professional, promoting the use of culture for social and spatial transformation. He played a significant role in the formulation of cultural policy in local government, and has curated numerous arts projects, festivals and exhibitions in the Eastern Cape, Northeast England and Gothenburg. Oyama was creative artistic director of Sihlanganiswa Ziinkonjane (The Swallows Partnership), linking Eastern Cape and North East England through arts, museums, libraries and film, then has since worked for over a decade in Mandela Bay Development Agency as a Development Economist in the role of Project Manager: Creative and Cultural Industries. He also sits as Director of the Athenaeum Council in Gqeberha.
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Lindokuhle Sinethemba Bulube
Vice Chairperson
Lindokuhle is an Assistant State Attorney for the Department of Justice in KuGompo (previously known as East London). She handles files for and protects the interests of different departments. Prior to this position she was employed at Yokwana Attorneys in Makhanda, Eastern Cape. Lindokuhle has 10 years of experience practicing in all fields of law helping people with their legal problems. Lindo uses her experience to assist people in any way she can. As an attorney, her career comes first and her ethical integrity is very important. “What I love about my job is knowing that I have assisted a client to the best of my ability. That makes me love my job even more.” When not at work, Lindokuhle is at home. She loves spending time with family and travelling.
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Siphosihle Halana
Treasurer
Sihle was born and grew up in the village of Hamburg, Ngqushwa, in the Eastern Cape. She gained a National Diploma in Economics in 2014, a BTech in Management in 2015 at Nelson Mandela University, and completed an Accounting Course in 2025 through University of Cape Town. Sihle worked as Student Assistant for two years at Nelson Mandela University, shortening the gap between lecturers and students, before joining the Local Government Sector. She currently works as a Senior Accountant at Sundays River Valley Municipality, responsible for compilation of Financial Statements, Budgets and Financial Reporting. Previously she worked for Ngqushwa Local Municipality in a similar role, The year 2026 marks 10 years working for local government! Besides working with financial systems and numbers, her current occupation requires people management, stakeholder relations, leadership skills, and effective communication. “I work in bettering the state of any environment I enter.”
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Ncedeka Beja
Secretary
Ncedeka administrated Intlantsi from its earliest days in the Keiskamma Trust. She became the Founding Project Manager responsible for registering Intlantsi as an independent NPO, carrying us through our start up years until 2018. She is a remarkable young mother of four and community leader. She graduated from ACTIVATE! Leadership for Public Innovation training in 2014, completed their Level 5 Community Development Practitioner course in 2016, and is currently studying towards a Diploma in Human Resource Management. Having grown up in Hamburg she carries the history of Intlantsi and a deep knowledge of our beneficiaries’ context into the Board.
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Zodwa Macozoma
Lovers Twist Community Representative
Zodwa matriculated in Qunu, Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. She studied for a National Diploma at the University of South Africa but became a police officer before finishing. She served in the South African Police Service for 26 years, completing her service as a Colonel. Thereafter she worked as a Security Advisor at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) for several years. She is now self-employed and living in Lovers Twist village where our community arts centre is situated, so is well-placed to hold Intlantsi’s relationship with the community there. Zodwa is a mother of two boys, who is “obsessed with the Word of God” and is currently a Pastor.
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merran roy
Founding Director
merran was born and grew up in Johannesburg. She studied a BA Honours in Fine Arts (University of Witwatersrand, 1987-90), during which time she became an activist in informal settlements for Black children denied arts education by the Apartheid system. She qualified as an Art Psychotherapist at Goldsmiths College (University of London, UK) in 1995, then gained 10 years’ clinical experience in UK psychiatric hospitals and a therapeutic community prison (HMP Grendon). She studied Introductory Group Analysis through the Institute of Group Analysis (London), served on the UK Art Therapists in Prisons Advisory Group, and achieved her Masters in Art Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths in 2003 where she was also a visiting lecturer. Since returning to South Africa in 2006, she has dedicated herself to developing accessible trainings. merran believes that “Curriculum-based arts education and capital-driven activities are killing the Arts’ original purpose of connectivity.” As a founding member of Ukuphila Ngobuciko (https://ukuphilacarptraining.org), she is working to accredit a national, culturally responsive, skills-based Community Arts Repair Practitioner training. She also performs with MEQOQO Playback Theatre Collective as a visual artist.