What is Rommel Roberts?
'''Rommel Roberts''' (2 December 1949–17 May 2024) was a South African human rights activist. He was an expert in the study of religion, director of the Hilltop Empowerment Centre, consultant, lecturer and author. == Life == Rommel Roberts was born on 2 December 1949, in [[Durban]], [[South Africa]]. He grew up in Mafeking (today: [[Mahikeng]], North-West Province, South Africa), where he was confronted with the effects of apartheid as a child. His father was white, and his mother Maureen Roberts, a qualified nurse and the only medical specialist for the surrounding townships, was of Indian descent and thus classified as non-white according to the categories of apartheid, so the family was exposed to diverse discrimination. Rommel grew up with seven siblings. Roberts graduated from [[High school|High School]] in [[Cape Town]] and then studied theology and philosophy at St. Joseph's Theological Institute near [[Pietermaritzburg]]. After his studies he returned to Cape Town, and in the following years committed himself against apartheid working in various human rights groups and organising non-violent actions. He worked alongside [[:en:Desmond Tutu|Bishop Tutu]] for many years. Roberts was married to Celeste Santos, also a human rights activist, and they had a son and a daughter. They were divorced later. In the years after [[Nelson Mandela]]'s release, Roberts was involved in various projects to build up democratic and economic structures and take care of returning exiles. In 1994 he was called to Mafeking to prepare and monitor the first general free elections, and also to resolve conflicts in the then ‘Homeland’ [[:de:Bophuthatswana|Bophuthatswana.]] From 1995 Roberts was director of the Hilltop Empowerment Centre in the [[Eastern Cape]]. He lived there with his wife Robin, with whom he was married since 2002. They organized numerous projects aimed at education issues and improving the living conditions of people in rural areas. He was involved in consultancy work with South African municipalities and gov