At 25, Busiso Moyo has gained a strong reputation as a human rights advocate, with colleagues describing him as an activist of “high level intellect with remarkable leadership qualities”.
He’s the advocacy and campaigns officer at the Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute in Johannesburg and has also worked at the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
Moyo’s engagement in human rights started in high school when he was selected as a member of the Johannesburg Junior City Council and chaired its welfare committee.
“I then made my way to Wits University where I was part of an international human rights exchange programme and I was exposed to a more hands-on approach. During that time I also interned at the SAHRC, where I was mentored by great minds such as Cameron Jacobs and Jody Kollapen,” he says.
Moyo holds degrees in politics, international relations and development studies and is currently studying towards a master’s degree in human rights at Wits.
He has a particular interest in food security.
“Hunger is a form of slow violence. If someone is suffering from cancer you can see it and more or less come to their aid. But with hunger you can’t do that, because it is hidden,” he says.
In 10 years’ time, Moyo would like to have helped to bring about significant change in the discourse about the right to food, social justice and socioeconomic rights.
“We also need to start addressing the land question in this country. It’s been understated. When you give a man land, it solves a whole lot of problems — that person can rent out land, build his own house and engage in the market.”
