Leadership Team

 

Morgan read for an MSc in Conservation Biology at UCT and started his career in 1998, working for Cape Nature Conservation as an environmental impact assessor.  In 2002 he left for a two-year global walk-about; returning to South Africa in 2004 to start with WESSA at the Gqeberha office.

Initially employed to comment on EIAs, he became increasingly involved in assisting the Blue Flag Programme and managing community conservation and sustainable development projects. Over 2014-2017 Morgan was appointed as WESSA’s Environmental Governance Manager, responsible for nationally promoting effective environmental governance through participating in the development of legislation and policy, and responding to significant threats to the environment. It was during this period WESSA became very involved in the development of national policy concerning the trade in elephant and rhino products.

In July 2017 WESSA was awarded the DFFE tender to implement a R40 million Youth Environmental Service (YES) Programme across the Northern Cape and Free State.  Transferred to Bloemfontein, Morgan and his team of four coordinators successfully managed the internship placements of 570 young graduates at host organisations in the environmental and ecotourism sectors.  In early 2020, as the YES Programme closed out, Morgan transferred to Durban to manage the 2½ year-long Tourism Blue Flag Project (TBF2).  Funder by the Department of Tourism, this project created 200 year-long learnerships for tourism graduates in the marine and coastal eco-tourism and conservation sectors. In this he was superbly supported by Sakhile Sithole, Lindo Mkhize and Sheivine Datadin, who now lead projects of their own.

Following the completion of this highly impactful youth development project, and leading from the outcomes of WESSA’s 2022-2027 Strategy development, Morgan moved back into WESSA’s advocacy and environmental governance work.  His role is to activate, guide, and support WESSA’s participation and action at national, regional and branch levels on matters pertaining to environmental governance, sustainability, and ecosystem stewardship.  Much of this work involves providing support to the efforts of the Environmental Governance Committee (EGC) and the WESSA volunteers engaging in advocacy matters.  Added to this, Morgan was appointed WESSA’s Membership Manager from January 2024, these two roles being highly integrated. Morgan has been highly involved in supporting membership activities over his 22 years with WESSA, especially during his 14 years in Gqeberha.  His current role is to stimulate, grow and support WESSA members’ involvement in advocacy and local environmental actions; and synergising the activities of WESSA’s staff and volunteer arms. This includes fostering support for our affiliated Friends Groups and Conservancies.

Morgan and Kelebogile Ntlha were tasked in January 2025 with forming the Strategic Operational Support function, dedicated to providing support to the CEO on strategic issues, proposals development and ExCo-level operations management. This includes supervision of WESSA’s three Environmental Education Centres.