Ms Keneilwe Zulu is the Executive Director of Access Chapter 2 (AC2), a South African organisation dedicated to the protection and advancement of the human rights of LGBTQIA+ persons, women, and girls. She is also an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, bringing a strong legal foundation to her leadership and advocacy work. Under her stewardship, AC2 has grown into South Africa’s first queer-led Law Clinic, distinguished by its integrated, rights-based approach that combines legal assistance, psychosocial support, and health-related services. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to intersectional justice, community empowerment, and the strengthening of access to justice systems for marginalised populations.
Ms Zulu is recognised for her strategic leadership, crisis management capabilities, and her ability to sustain organisational resilience under challenging conditions. In early 2025, she led the organisation through a significant operational disruption caused by funding cuts, which temporarily affected service delivery and led to staff retrenchments and service gaps for vulnerable beneficiaries. Through decisive leadership and coordinated institutional response, she played a central role in the restoration of services and the reopening of AC2’s operations. Beyond organisational leadership, Ms Zulu is known for her contributions to human rights advocacy within the broader South African legal and social justice landscape. Her work consistently reflects a commitment to dignity, equality, and the protection of vulnerable communities, particularly those affected by gender-based violence, discrimination, and systemic exclusion. She continues to guide AC2’s strategic direction, focusing on sustainability, institutional strengthening, and the expansion of holistic support services for LGBTQIA+ communities and survivors of violence across South Africa.