Majakathata Mokoena, born and raised in Moroka North, Soweto, is a former student activist, political exile, and accomplished author. His early education was shaped by apartheid’s oppressive laws, which forced him to move between schools due to ethnic segregation. Deeply affected by these injustices, he developed a sharp political consciousness, joining a debate club at Molapo Secondary School and later attending Orlando High School, where Black Consciousness ideals inspired his activism. He became a key figure in the South African Students Movement (SASM) and represented his school in the Action Committee later strategically known as the Soweto Students’ Representative Council (SSRC) that organized the June 16, 1976 protest, which tragically ended in a massacre. Following his leadership role in the uprising, Mokoena went into exile and lived in Botswana, Britain, the USA, and Japan. During this time, he pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Amherst College (1979–1983), a Master of Arts in Social Change and Development from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (1984–1986), and an MBA in General Management from Harvard Business School (19921994). He returned to South Africa in 1993. In addition to Triumphant Casualties: A Battlefield Diary of the Class of 1976, Mokoena is the author of several other influential works, including The Shadow King, Muddlethrough Economics, My Brother’s Keeper, and Letters to My Countrymen. His writing reflects a deep commitment to social justice, political transformation, and the preservation of historical memory. 

Nomphumelelo Babeli holds a Master of Social Science degree in Political and International Studies from Rhodes University. She has co-authored an article titled "The Politics of Knowledge in South African Universities: Students' Perspectives." Currently, Nomphumelelo serves as a lecturer at the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL) in the Extended Studies Unit, where she teaches Politics and International Studies as well as Sociology. Additionally, she is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes University. Her doctoral research focuses on women's agency in shaping South Africa's foreign policy in the post-apartheid era.

Lazarus Kgageng is a multi-award-winning youth leader, an activist, published Queer author and well-rounded speaker. His leadership experience spans over nine years. He is widely recognized for his community and youth development projects executed through his non-profit organization, Thola Lesedi Foundation, that he established in 2016. The recognition of his contributions towards community and youth development earned him a feature in the 2021 Mail and Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans under the category of Education.

He is a Rhodes University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree obtained in 2022. In that year, he served as the secretary for the Rhodes University Student Parliament, and the SRC Kimberly Hall Representative. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Honours in Political and International Studies in 2023. In the same year, he served as the Rhodes University SRC Secretary-General. As a student leader, Lazarus has received three Rhodes University Top 100 awards: the Ubuntu Award in 2022, which was followed by the General Excellence and Student Leadership Award in 2023. 

As a published Queer, Lazarus has four short stories published in South Africa, Nigeria and India. He recently published his debut novel titled The Chords of Hymn in March 2025. He is currently pursuing his Master of Arts Degree with the Political and International Relations Department, and the Critical Studies in Sexualities and Reproduction Unit at Rhodes University. His research focuses on Queer, and critical health studies. In April, he was selected to form part of the 2025 cohort of promising young leaders for a leadership programme known as The Fort Hare Activist School.