Not In My Name International

31/08/2026

United we stand. Divided we fall.

Turning communication into change

By Nhlelo Msimango

Mo Senne, a communications and advocacy specialist at Rhodes University, is using her work to challenge injustice, amplify marginalised voices and push institutions to respond to issues affecting communities.

For Senne, communication is not simply about public relations. It is a way of connecting complex issues such as gender-based violence, public safety and governance with the everyday experiences of ordinary people.

Her journey into communication was influenced by her background in Psychology and her interest in understanding human behaviour.

“I was inspired by the power of narrative to restore human dignity, challenge injustice, and move communities from awareness to action,” she said.

Senne currently works as the Senior Communications Officer at Rhodes University and serves as Head of Communications and Research at Not in My Name International.

Her work involves managing institutional communication and public engagement at the university, while her advocacy work focuses on public safety, governance and gender justice.

One of the campaigns that left a lasting impression on her was the media and activist campaign surrounding the Nicholas Ninow trial, which she worked on at Not In My Name International.

The campaign challenged her emotionally but strengthened her belief that communication should not be passive when people’s rights are at stake.

“It proved that strategic public communication can give voice to the voiceless and force society to confront uncomfortable truths,” she said.

For Senne, words can influence how society understands an issue and what it considers acceptable.

“When used strategically, communication transforms invisible struggles into urgent national conversations,” she said.

Her work has been recognised through awards including the UN SDG Action Award and MACE Excellence Awards. She sees these achievements as recognition not only of her work, but of the communities and causes she represents.

“Recognition is never a solo achievement; it is a validation of the communities and causes we represent,” she said.

Despite the demands of advocacy and crisis communication, Senne said her psychological training and belief in collective action keep her grounded.

“Structural change is a long-distance run, not a sprint,” she said.

She now hopes to strengthen the connection between research, policy and digital communication, with a focus on creating long-term structural change rather than temporary awareness.

For Senne, that means refusing to stay silent when difficult issues need to be addressed.

“I refuse to take the risk of treating human trauma as just a ‘PR metric’,” she said.

Mo Senne, a communications and advocacy specialist using communication to drive social change. Photo: Supplied

29/08/2026

"I refuse to take the risk of treating human trauma as just a PR metric" 🔥 🔥 🔥

Mo Senne (Head of Communications & Research at Not In My Name International; Senior Communications Officer at Rhodes University)

23/08/2026

09/08/2026

Happy women's Day to all the fighting women of our liberation. The titans of industries, the women who stood and fought for a just and free society.

Comrades, there is no true social revolution without the liberation of women. May my eyes never see and my feet never take me to a society where half the people are held in silence. I hear the roar of women’s silence. I sense the rumble of their storm and feel the fury of their revolt.

09/08/2026

Leadership ✊🏾

Celebrating Mo Senne, Senior Communications Officer in the Division of Communications & Advancement at Rhodes University, whose activism work at Not In My Name International was recently highlighted in the Mail & Guardian!

With nearly a decade of Communications experience, her academic achievements include:

🧠 Bachelor of Psychology Honours (2015) – Pearson Institute (now Eduvos)

✊ Honours in African Feminist Research Methodologies (2026) – Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Rhodes University, lectured by Dr Corinne Knowles

💻 NQF 6 in Digital Government Communications (2026) – Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership Rhodes JMS, led by Themba Sepotokele.

Thank you for your dedication to continuous learning, leadership, and excellence!



🔗 https://mg.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-08-06-the-woman-who-believes-words-can-change-lives/

09/08/2026

Our Head of Communications & Research, Mo Senne has been featured on the Mail & Guardian for being the woman who believes words can change lives.

Her message to young women is: "Do not make yourself smaller to fit into someone else's idea of who you should be. Your story matters. Your voice matters. Keep learning, keep showing up and never wait for permission to take your place."

🔗 https://mg.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-08-06-the-woman-who-believes-words-can-change-lives/

06/08/2026

Not In My Name International welcomes the judgment of the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg sentencing Thubelihle Sbonakaliso Mpisi to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, Mahlako Malebo Rabalao, as well as for malicious injury to property and defeating the administration of justice.

This sentence marks the conclusion of a painful journey that began in March 2023 when the charred remains of the 26-year-old IT specialist were discovered inside her Mercedes-Benz near her home in Midrand.

For more than three years, her family, friends, and her son have had to carry the unbearable weight of grief while waiting for justice to prevail.

The evidence presented before the court painted a deeply disturbing picture. Although the extent of the burning prevented medical experts from determining the precise cause of death, the State successfully proved beyond reasonable doubt that Mahlako had died before her body and vehicle were deliberately set alight in an attempt to conceal the crime and destroy evidence. Not in My Name International emphasises that it must at all times be the perpetrators who prove beyond reasonable doubt.

We commend the court for relying on compelling circumstantial evidence, including cellphone records, forensic evidence, expert testimony and the accused's conduct before and after the murder.

It is said that Mahlako was trying to end the relationship before she was brutally murdered.

05/08/2026

"Social justice cannot be achieved through reactive commentary; it requires active, physical presence where decisions are made, where minds are shaped, and where economies are driven. Our new leadership team is fully committed to taking Not In My Name International from the streets directly into the boardrooms, the lecture halls, and the halls of governance. We are not just demanding change - we are showing up to help build it,” Address by President Themba Masango at the GBVF Conference in Gauteng.

04/08/2026

Tomorrow we join activists and civil society in the GBVF Conference. The fight for social justice continues and is far from over.