NIGEL CARPENTER 

Chairperson

Nigel is an Advocate of the High Court with 29 years’ experience and has a B. Com and LLB degrees. He is currently in private practice. 

He was employed by the National Prosecuting Authority as a Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions and from 2010 – 2017 and he was in charge of the Mental Health Portfolio at the Director of Public Prosecutions offices where he was stationed.      

He gained extensive experience in the legislative framework involved with mental health, especially in the criminal law environment. He acted as the Official Curator ad litem for all persons treated and observed at psychiatric hospitals in terms of the criminal law and State care. He also advised advocates, public prosecutors, psychiatrists and mental health care managers on the implementation of applicable legislation and court judgments. He was part of the NPA Task Team dealing with proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act and the Mental Health Act. He attended the bi-annual Governmental Interdepartmental Forensic Mental Health Conferences, hosted by the Department of Health, in 2009, 2011 and 2013.
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In 2013 he was involved in an incident which resulted in him being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has been under treatment since 2013 for PTSD and accompanying depression, anxiety and associated mental health issues. He has first-hand experience of the widespread misunderstanding by society and stigmatism attached to persons suffering from mental health issues. He is passionate about changing society’s perceptions, general ignorance and treatment of persons suffering from mental health issues. He also wants to bring about legislative amendments so that persons suffering from mental health issues are treated with the dignity they deserve, that their human rights are respected and that they are not marginalized and become a forgotten sector of society.  ​

CHARMAINE HIGGINS

Treasurer

Charmaine has worked her way through the corporate ranks with determination. At 18, when formal education was beyond her reach, she set herself on a path of lifelong learning; observing and questioning whenever the opportunity arose; so doing, accumulating a diverse and vast library of knowledge which often proves useful in the oddest situations. 

She has worked in many different positions, in many different industries. This has given her a solid base upon which she has developed her knowledge Marketing, Public Relations, Corporate ​Communications and logistics. At 36, she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and ADHD. While this was not much of a surprise to her, it did take a while for her to come to terms with the diagnosis and to learn to manage her condition. In 2020, she was appointed to the Board of the Global Mental Health Peer Network. She sees this as an opportunity to support and advocate on behalf of others who are facing similar challenges.

CHANTELLE GRADIDGE

Board Member

After many years of tumultous episodes, Chantelle was eventually diagnosed with Major Depression, Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Social Phobia in 2003.

Chantelle studied journalism after school and continued to obtain a degree in English and Psychology.

She has since worked successfully in the media and education industries, and now owns a small printing business.
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Chantelle has three adult children who have all been treated for episodes of severe anxiety and depression, and her fourth and youngest child, aged 15, was also recently diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression.
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Chantelle's current goal is to do more research into the role of genetics in mental health. Her aim is to reduce stigma by making people aware that anxiety and depression is not only circumstantial or "in the mind", but is an actual physiological disorder caused by a dysfunctional serotonin transmitter gene.

JANI VAN DER WESTHUIZEN

​​Board Member

Jani van der Westhuizen started her acting career at The National School of the Arts where she won numerous acting awards. Jani is an experienced teacher (Drama CAPS) with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Film Acting, from AFDA in 2005, and has worked in the film, television and the theatre Industry for over 20 years. She has starred in “Egoli”, “Sorted”, “Getroud met Rugby” and “Brix City”, as well as many theatre productions and performance arts projects.

Jani has received numerous funding grants from The National Arts Council to write, produce, direct and act in her own plays that have travelled to theatres and festivals across South Africa. She also worked for Mike van Graan as a Stage Manager and has worked as an Insert Producer and Scriptwriter for Curious Culture (Jerry Mofokeng), a magazine show on SABC 3.

​J​ani has a passion for teaching and is known for ‘adding a touch of her magic’ to activate the hidden potential in her students and she is also an agent for professional child-actors in South Africa. She has been teaching a variety of Drama Curriculums, for the past 8 years, at various tutor centers and ISASA schools. She has taught over 200 children drama over the past few years and runs her own company, Methodz Operandi PTY (ltd), which acts as an incubator for quality and trained child actors in South Africa.
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Jani believes it is important to take young South Africans’ passions seriously and not to underestimate their abilities to grow into professional actors, so that they may thrive in the local industry, as well as globally just like a few of our students are already doing!