Dr Dizline Mfanozelwe Shozi was born in Mbumbulu, Kwazulu Natal, raised by a single mother, where he observed the difficulties with which she raised her children, and pain endured by the fact that his sister was killed by unknown men and never buried. Dr Shozi grew up in areas where faction fighting, political violence, domestic violence, and abuse of women was a norm. These experiences would drive him to join the gender equality sector and social movements with a quest to eradicate gender-based violence, femicide and violence against women.
He holds a BA degree (UKZN), Diploma in Adult Basic Education (UKZN), B-Tech in Business Administration (UNISA), Diploma in Business Management (Damelin), and Masters in Community Development (UKZN). He has recently graduated with a PHD in Public Administration (DUT) specializing in Peace Building, with a thesis titled: Utilizing Action Research to build Peace at Njobokazi village, KwaZulu-Natal. His professional experience includes working in the following fields: adult education, human rights, public participation, peacebuilding, gender equality and community development.
Dr Shozi is a lecturer at the Durban University of Technology, where he started in the Adult and Community Education Unit and was later appointed as Project Manager for the Imbali Education and Innovation Precinct.
He has worked as an ABET facilitator and Project Manager for ABET Programmes at Natal ABE Support Agency, an Advocacy Manager at Provincial Parliamentary Programme and a former Commissioner and Chairperson of the Commission for Gender Equality. He is also a board member of various non-governmental organizations such as Chairperson of the Valley Trust Board and the Chairperson of the African Child and Youth Community Development Project.
