Desmond D’sa is the Chairperson of both the Wentworth Development Forum and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, and is credited by many for uniting the South Durban community in tackling the high air pollution levels experienced in this area.Des, as he is known, was born in Cato Manor and spent the first 15 years of his life there, until he and his family were forcibly moved to a flat in Wentworth, South of Durban, under the Group Areas Act.

 Des still remembers the painful social and emotional upheaval caused by these forced removals.Desmond D’Sa rallied south Durban’s diverse and disenfranchised communities and successfully shut down a toxic waste dump that was exposing nearby residents to dangerous chemicals and robbing them of their constitutionally protected right to a safe and clean environment.He received Goldman Environmental Prize in 2014.