NEW MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Retina South Africa is pleased to introduce the newly elected MC:

Chairman: Manny Moodley, Attorney, from Cape Town.
Vice- Chair: Anton van Rooyen [re-elected], Assistive device and technology expert, from Gqeberha.
Treasurer: Jean Bowler [re-elected] professional accountant, Germiston.
Secretary: Claudette Medefindt [re-elected] Patient Counsellor, Benoni.

Manny Moodley

MANNY MOODLEY (Chairman)
Manny Moodley has Stargardt Disease and has been an active member of the Foundation since his teens. He has held many roles including that of Vice – Chairman of the Foundation and Chairman of the Western Cape branch. He is an attorney at law and has served on committees of numerous disability organisations including the Executive of the National Council for the Blind, the Cape Town Society for the Blind, and is a trustee on the Carel Du Toit Trust. He is passionate about advocacy, inclusion, and equality for people with disabilities. He is also interested in research to find treatments for inherited retinal disorders. His steady hand and wise counsel will be a huge asset to the Foundation going forward in these challenging times.

Anton van Rooyen

ANTON VAN ROOYEN (Vice-Chairman)
Anton Van Rooyen has been active in Retina South Africa for many years. He has been a member of the MC for years and was elected as Vice -Chair 5 years ago. The PE Office falls under his jurisdiction. He is a user and expert on technology and assistive devices to help low vision patients. He is also a brilliant guitarist and was a professional musician for many years. He plans to be active in the governance portfolio. Anton has Stargardt Disease.

Claudette Medefindt

CLAUDETTE MEDEFINDT (Secretary)
Claudette Medefindt has been a volunteer with the Foundation since its inception. She is a trained counsellor with a passion for the science of retinal degeneration. She is Head of Science and Patient Services for Retina SA and serves on the board of Retinal International. Claudette has Retinitis Pigmentosa [RP].

Jean Bowler

JEAN BOWLER (Treasurer)
Jean Bowler is a volunteer with no history of vision loss in her family. She has been the Treasurer of Retina South Africa through most of the past 20 years. She heads up the finance divisions of various companies and her expert fiscal control has ensured a history of financial governance in Retina South Africa that is totally flawless.

Alani Ferreira

ALANI FERREIRA
Alani Ferreira is a professional swimmer who has just been selected to represent SA at the Tokyo Paralympics. She has a BCom in Business Management and is now doing her honours degree. She lives in Pietermaritzburg and is a member of the Youth Committee who are mentoring young people with retinal degeneration. She is an inspiring leader with a passion for people. Alani has Stargardt Disease.

Anoop Narotam

ANOOP NAROTAM
Dr Anoop Narotam from Johannesburg has a degree in both Medicine and Physiotherapy. He is inspired by the people that he has met who achieve amazing things despite their vision loss. He is a member of the Youth Committee and hopes to grow Retina South Africa and inspire young patients to dream big and achieve their dreams. Anoop has Stargardt Disease.

Lishavia Mahabeer

LISHAVIA MAHABEER
Lishavia Mahabeer lives in Durban and the fact that both her brother and sister have a Macular Dystrophy has inspired her to join Retina South Africa. As a PHD student in Chemistry with a sound background in Biochemistry we know that she will be a huge asset to the Science portfolio.

Kgosietsile Mmoloke

KGOSIETSILE MMOLOKE
Kgosietsile Mmoloke is a mining engineer from Johannesburg who recently completed his MBA. He has Cone Rod Dystrophy and is also part of the Youth Committee. His passion is to empower the youth and help them overcome their challenges. He hopes to inspire them to believe there is hope despite having a retinal condition.

Samantha Daniels

SAMANTHA DANIELS
Samantha Daniels is a teacher at a Special Needs school in Cape Town. She served as Deputy chair on the Western Cape Committee and was a delegate to the NMC prior to the Constitutional change which amalgamated the Foundation into one organisation. She is a member of the Youth Committee and is now studying inclusivity in Education. Samantha has RP.

Zazi Gumede

ZAZI GUMEDE
Zazi Gumede lives in Johannesburg and has worked in the Disability sector for 5 years in both an administrative and legislative capacity. He was deputy chair of the Disability Forum of Johannesburg and is secretary to the disability organisation Powerpath. Zazi has Macular Dystrophy.

Sonya Mahabeer

SONYA MAHABEER
Sonya Mahabeer is an attorney with a qualification in Financial Planning and has a CFP designation. She works for one of the major corporates in the financial services industry in Cape Town as a legal advisor. Her expertise will be an asset to the Governance portfolio in the MC. Sonya is passionate about creating positive change and hopes to interact with Retina SA members to create a forum where people with vision loss can be supported and understood. Sonya has macular dystrophy.