Fort Hare Autumn School Leadership Programme (FHAS)

Anele Mngadi is a student at the Nelson Mandela University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Sociology, a BA (Hons) in Political Studies and currently, she is pursuing a Master’s degree in the same field. Her MA research is a study of the comparative practices of multiculturalism in two countries through the lens of Critical Multiculturalism as its theoretical foundation. Her research interests include the politics of gender, identity politics, African politics, as well as post-colonialism as a study of cultural legacies of colonisation.

She is currently working as Research Assistant in the Chair for Critical Studies in Higher Education Transformation (CriSHET) at Nelson Mandela University. As well as a lecturing assistant in the Department of Political Studies and History at the Nelson Mandela University.

Mzuvukile Singata is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Chemistry at the Nelson Mandela University. His research focuses on developing economical and fast methods of synthesizing pharmaceuticals. He is also the current student assistant and program coordinator for on-campus mentoring in the Living and learning program under Student Housing. He has a keen interest in student development and likes to attend developmental programs that speak to equality in and outside university spaces. He is a candid supporter and activist on women’s rights and women in Leadership.  Outside of university, he spends his free time hiking – he is a member of a hiking group that goes on different hiking trails in the eastern cape to relax and stay healthy.

Khwezilomso is loosely translated to “star of the dawn”. She is the firstborn in a home of four children. After completing high school in East London’s Clarendon High School for Girls, Khwezi went to Port Elizabeth where she completed a BCom (Law and Business Management) at the Nelson Mandela University. She also holds a Compliance Management postgraduate qualification from the University of Cape Town and later completed an LLB from the Nelson Mandela University. Khwezi is currently an LLM (Public Law) Research candidate focusing on the right to development with a specific focus on Africa.

Khwezi is a social activist who participated in the Nelson Mandela University Fees Must Fall movement in 2015 and 2016. She hopes to make a positive contribution to her community through her non-profit organisation, of which she is both Founder and Director- Solakha Foundation. The foundation aims to educate and empower previously disadvantaged communities through workshops and engagements about their basic human rights and the obligations imposed on the State amongst other focus areas. Khwezi is also a trained mediator and runs court assigned mediations through the Law Clinic as well as for the Transformation Office at Nelson Mandela University. She has worked with several community-based organisations such as Masifunde Learner Development and African Unity to name a few and has also worked with political organisations in her formative undergraduate years.

Karen Ndhlovu is an aspiring CA(SA), currently in her fourth Year of Accounting science: economics and business management at the Nelson Mandela University. She is passionate about African growth and development, as well as getting young people more involved in that process. She has created platforms in the form of a podcast and a YouTube channel called PhaseOne to promote this culture and mindset. The podcast is a discussion platform that allows young Africans to share their opinions and views, as well as any frustrations they may have about their position in the current African context. The PhaseOne Vision YouTube channel is a platform that showcases mini documentaries of young Africans doing incredible things to show the visual side of the positive stories that are also present in Africa. This idea is to balance out the idea of constantly complaining about the shortcomings of Africa but also showing and praising the immense potential in Young African People that is being practiced every day.

Mpho Tiny Lebelo is a Masters candidate within the Sociology and Anthropology department at Nelson Mandela University. Her study focuses on investigating the impacts of institutional cultures on the wellbeing of students at Nelson Mandela University. The study aims to theorize wellbeing using terms such as “impilo”, “Umgowo” and “botho”- personhood to describe wellbeing through the experiences of students during their university life. The study looks at periods where the #MustFall movements occurred, changed and encouraged discourse around decolonization and transformation as well as navigating the university system during a pandemic and how that impacts ones wellbeing. She is a  National Research Foundation (NRF) recipient and also the former Resident Student Assistant (RSA) of Sol Plaatje Residence at Nelson Mandela University.

Lilly Quin is a Journalism and Media Studies MA student at Rhodes University. Her research is concerned with media and social belonging, focusing on mixed-race identity development within the South African context.

Lilly is involved in several community-based projects in her local place of residence, Makhanda. She volunteers with a food security programme and was responsible for the organisation of several groups providing relief during the initial COVID-19 pandemic. She has continued to volunteer with a long-standing food security and relief group, working closely with community leaders to distribute food to the most vulnerable members of local society. Lilly is an affiliate of several online activism groups and has hosted live streams discussing gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa to promote civil action and participation.

Her latest project focuses on integrating car guards into society in her local town. The fledgling action program operates primarily as a life-skills workshop in which participants can direct the classes to help them advance in areas of their life and education that they deem most necessary or interesting. This programme is in the early stages of being formalised and the team hopes to register as an NPO later this year. The Abakhuseli Bemoto Car Guard Project stemmed from the relationships established with members of the community who worked together during the initial lockdown and aims to improve the lives and social experiences of local car guards.

Vuyani Ndzishe is the Chairperson of the Black Lawyers Association Rhodes University and a former Democracy Work Academy Fellow. Ndzishe graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political and International Studies and Legal Theory and he is currently enrolled for a postgraduate LLB from Rhodes University. He identifies as a queer person trying to learn more about environmentalism, political ecology, the law and urban planning and governance. He hopes to be a lawyer and one day work in urban planning making South African cities more sustainable and livable for everyone.

Anita Dywaba is a Human Rights Activist from Cape Town. She is currently doing her postgraduate honours degree at Rhodes University in Journalism and Media Studies. Anita is a founding member of a non-profit called nkwenkwezinpo; she also serves as an Ambassador for USAID's YouthLead and a Sub-Saharan Ambassador to Peace First. Anita is also a member of the South African Institute for International Affairs (SAIIA) Youth Policy Committee, which evaluates policies on Gender, Peace and Security, and Inequalities and Racism. In addition, Anita was the leader of the Peace and Security thematic group for SAIIA’s APRM youth submission report. Lastly, Anita has a podcast called “Let’s Talk Activism.”

Lian May hails from the mighty Makhanda previously known as Grahamstown. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political and International Studies from Rhodes University, as well as Honours in Political and International Studies. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Race, Racism, and Identity Studies. In his MA research work, he is attempting to study the expressions of how the youth in the area he grew up in (Irving Heights, Grahamstown) express their Coloured identity. His broad research interests are on the history of Race, Racism and Identity politics within South Africa.

He spends his free time doing community service outside of the university, or rather outside of academia. Since his first year in 2016, he has been engaging selflessly in his community where he has worked with different organisations and with the youth of various age groups. From reading to pre-learners to working in the garden with elementary school children to mentoring grade 12 learners, his involvement over the years, and even now, has instilled in him the qualities of a servant leader.

Sinalo Thuku enjoys engaging in current affairs, social justice movements and making meaningful contributions towards transformation. He is an emerging young professional who completed a Bachelor of Journalism degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Media Management at Rhodes University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies. He uses his skills in journalism and media to create awareness around social issues.

Sinalo is the co-founder of ‘Educompass’, an NPO which provides tutoring and mentoring to learners from various schools in the Eastern Cape. He believes that effective change begins by empowering others. Sinalo advocates for equality and justice for womxn and queer community. He is a person with humility who embraces diversity, change and community.

Mondekazi Ntshele obtained a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Political Sciences and currently doing his 4th year in Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at the University of Fort Hare East London Campus. During her studies, she accomplished leadership skills and established networks across the world. She is a graduate of Activate Youth Leadership Network. She is currently working as a Facilitator for First Year Students at the University of Fort Hare Centre of Transdisciplinary Studies. She was selected as one of 10 students from the country to represent in Asia Youth International Model United Nations under the council of UN-Women and Gender Equality in Malaysia, Putrajaya. The theme for the programme was "Human Security in the Globalized World ". She also worked with the South African Medical Research Council (Gender and Health Unit) to deliver the intervention and coordinate it to 20 First year female students at the University of Fort Hare. In 2019 she was selected among the global youth to attend World Youth Forum in Egypt hosted by the Presidential office. In 2019 Mondekazi was selected among the global youth to attend World Youth Forum in Egypt hosted by the Presidential office. The aim of the programme was to equip global youth with knowledge and information about innovative solutions in understanding 4IR, Artificial Intelligence and the Digital world. In her leadership and academic roles, she has acquired Interpersonal skills, the ability to work as a team; the ability to come up with innovative ideas and solutions; the ability to resolve conflicts; the ability to implement and facilitate project processes; the ability to seek help when needed. She believes that every individual has a role and contribution to establish for a better future.

Sibulele Ngozi is a University of Fort Hare Graduate qualified with honours in Economics specialising in Financial Markets. He holds an undergrad qualification in Bcom General majoring in Economics, Business Management and Information Systems. He is a debater, public speaker and an entrepreneur. Most of his advocacy has been in establishing platforms that allow students to access basic professional skills and facilitating their transition into the competitive labour market. This was done through the various unions and societies he formed such as Economists On The Move, Bell Rock Leadership Institute, Union of Economic Debates and through others where he was an elected president for Soaring Eagles Toastmasters, UFH Debating Union and Management and Commerce Faculty Council. He also organised annual school’s public debates at the East London City Hall to encourage public discourse and harnessing communication skills at high school levels.

Sibulele now works as a Niche Markets Specialist in the Insurance industry, retained by PPS Insurance as a Graduate Market Specialist.

Daniel Banele Melaphi is a second year LLB student and tutor at the University of Fort Hare. He is currently a legal assistant at SEESA under the department of Labour law. He is the Co-Founder and Director of BLA Foundation, a non-profit organisation aimed at addressing barriers to education and access to water in disadvantaged communities. He is an Eisenhower Fellow and has completed learning opportunities at the World Intellectual Property Organisation Academy, the International Business Management Institution in Germany, and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration. In 2019, he received a certificate of excellence for his participation in the International Youth Diplomacy Conference in Ghana, and received training in international criminal law from the International Criminal Court.

Andamaswazi Songelwa is currently studying towards a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). She is a Bachelor of Social Science, in Sociology and Psychology, graduate. She is also an Activate! Change Drivers’ Program graduate. Currently she works as a Facilitator in the Center of Transdisciplinary Studies, at the University of Fort Hare. She is a former Black Management Forum (BMF) – Student Chapter – Chairperson of the University of Fort Hare, Administrator of Enactus; Champion against Gender-Based Violence; and a former Mentor of the First Year Experience for the Student Counseling Unit.

She believes in the power of education to empower, skill the youth and for the youth to find inspiration of a better future. Because of the organisations she has been part of, such as Enactus – she learnt how to work well and respectfully with people; as she worked with community members, fellow students and business owners. She also learnt the importance of community development and the importance of being a responsible citizen, as she engaged with disadvantaged communities. As a member of Black Management Forum (BMF) – she hopes to advocate for black empowerment and inclusivity. She is interested in advocating for the importance of mental health and the factors that lead to substance abuse in poverty-stricken societies.

Onelisa Mgoqi is a final year BCom Accounting student at the University of Fort Hare, East London campus. Born in Tsomo and having spent most of her life in East London, she is passionate about the empowerment of black people. She has amongst other roles, served as the ABASA Fort Hare Student Chapter Deputy Chairperson, Toastmasters President, Secretary of PASMA Jeff Masemola Branch and the Secretary of the East London Campus SRC. Her time in the SRC exposed her to the extent of the disadvantage learners from rural communities continue to be subject to and she has made it her mandate to overtime assist in the rewriting of their narrative.

Her involvement in campus leadership has taught her the importance of continuing to play a role in the betterment of our societies. She realizes she'll never be able to call herself a success if only her family benefits from her.

Onelisa, together with a few women from eTsomo are in the process of launching an NPO whose main purpose will be reaching out to young girls in school and to provide a continued mentorship program that will nurture them and reshape their mindsets so that they can claim their rightful roles in society.

Itumeleng Indiphile Mothlabane is a social activist from Emhlangeni village in Eastern Cape, South Africa. She holds a degree in Bachelor of Commerce and currently pursuing her honours in Bcom Business Management at the University of Fort Hare.  She has undergone leadership training from Activate Leadership course, Young African Leaders Institute, Just Lead from Stellenbosch University and Tshisimani School of Activism. Her gender activism includes being part of programmes like HHHCC in UFH, and internationally through AFNHi. She has also been part of rural development initiatives like Emhlangeni CAN. She is serving organiser of learners at Equal Education Eastern Cape, fighting for education justice for the working class. In 2021 she has been appointed as the Youth Sounding Board member for the European Commission and an ambassador of the Inside My Purse Campaign.

Nonceba Patience Tenza is a master’s student in the department of Criminology from the University of Fort Hare Alice Campus. She is currently an intern and a peer educator’s coordinator in the HIV/AIDS Unit at the University of Fort Hare. Previously she was a facilitator for a sexually resistant intervention (Ntombi Vimbela) which was coordinated by the South African Medical Research Council in 2019. She was also a facilitator for Imithayelanga youth development in her village in Matatiele. She is an inspirational leader in her workplace and uses her positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage her fellow peer educators to work hard and take good care of themselves to graduate alive.

Mqokweni Azame is a postgraduate student at the University of Fort Hare’s Alice campus doing a Postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). He is a goal-driven, goal oriented, conscientious, and optimistic individual. Assisting others to become motivated and develop self-confidence regardless of their background and to become a better individual who can achieve his/her dreams is his interest. He always engages himself in programmes that aim to achieve this interest of transforming people’s lives.

In 2017 he was part of MES tutoring program which was a voluntary school program to assist learners in schools to excel in subjects that are deemed as difficult. The aim of the program was to help learners excel in those subjects so that by the time they need to apply to tertiary and advance their careers they do so without struggling. He is one of the leaders of FYE (First Year Experience) mentoring program at the University of Fort Hare. This program aims to help and facilitate first year student’s transition from high school to university life and experience. They equip first years with skills and important information regarding varsity life and academics since they are new to the environment. They do this to also help first year students not to be victims of bad things they have experienced at university previous years. In his community, he is also part of a program called Masakhe that is still at its infancy stage. This program mainly targets young males for soccer. During soccer training, they also talk about important issues affecting men in general and the community and how they can cope or prevent them.

 Radoni Somila is a final year student at the University of Fort Hare study for a Bachelor of Arts (psychology). She is passionate about social and community development, human rights, social justice, and mental health. She has been involved in different platforms that advocate on current social issues that are faced in South Africa. In her spare time, she volunteers in youth programmes that promote an awareness of international affairs among young people equipping them with skills to become future researchers and leaders.

Fezile Mtyide is originally from a small town called Flagstaff in former Transkei. He is 26 years old and holds a degree in BSc Agriculture (Hons): Crop - Soil Science obtained from the University of Fort Hare. Currently, he is registered for a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (FET).

He once led a society known as the University of Fort Hare Skills Development Club serving as the HOD Agronomy 2018/19, UFH PASMA ALICE – SOBUKWE Branch Organizer 2019/20, UFH PAYCO Alice – Sobukwe Branch Coordinator 2020/21 and UFH Alice Campus SRC Academic Affairs Officer 2020/21. He serves as the UFH SRC Deputy Secretary General 2021/22

Fezile is a leader who believes in Pan Africanism and also that politics is an ethical duty and that personal transformation is required to produce ethical leaders.

Luyanda Mazwi also popularly known as Chyna is a young man who is in his early 30s, born and raised in Flagstaff at Ingquza Hill Local Municipality. Currently reside in Eastern Cape Province, Mthatha. He recently graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences where he majored in Politics and Philosophy at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and is currently registered for Social Sciences Honours in Philosophy and writing his academic research paper on Critical theory and Reactionary Modernism.

Chyna is a community activist and politically active in both student and mainstream politics which contributed a lot to his consciousness of social classes that exist in South Africa and globally, hence ideologically he is socialist and subscribes to Marxist-Leninist philosophy, which is also a philosophy of the South African Communist Party (SACP). He is a member of the SACP, which is politically aligned to the governing party of South Africa the ANC that makes him be a member of ANC too.

As both a community member and an SACP branch leader of its youth league ‘YCLSA’, he has been and continues to be engaged in a number of activities that seek to address poverty, social injustice such as crime, human rights abuse, drug abuse and gender-based violence and Ukuthwala ‘forced marriage’ that has become so dominant in our society more especially in the O.R TAMBO District. In that capacity, he has been at the forefront of organizing activities that condemn the illegal occupation and violation of human rights in various international communities, like the Western-Sahara territory conflict, imposed economic sanctions against Cuba, Palestine territory invasion by Israel, etc.

Athenkosi Fani is an award winning LGBTQI activist, an alumnus of Democracy Works Academy and Activate change drivers Alumni. He obtained Versatile Broadcasting qualification from WSU. Currently pursuing his second qualification in Public Relations Management. Fani, serves as the subcommittee of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation for events and sponsorships. He is the 2021 Eastern Cape Youth award winner. His interests include public speaking, motivational speaking and philanthropy. In 2020 Fani was profiled by Mail&Guardian as the Top 200 South African leaders and profiled by the National Youth Development Agency as the Trailblazer of the year. He is now a Peer Assistant leader for communication and serves as the Chairperson of the Marketing and Communication Academic Society. He was honored a role to be the Walter Sisulu University Ambassador for his advocacy in the LGBTQI community. He hosts a podcast where he interviews people about the LGBTQI community and the importance of them taking up space in the society to occupy key important leadership roles.

Outside University he works as the Ambassador of Vodacom next level to marketing Vodacom next level products through targeting young people from the age of 13 to 25 years. In his spare time, he models, taking part in campaigns and pageants. As a model, he has won many titles nationally and provincially and sometimes serves as a judge at modelling competitions.

Athenkosi seats on the advisory board of the National Association of Child workers. The National Association of Child Care Workers (NACCW) is a South African NGO which works to promote optimal standards of care for orphaned, vulnerable and at-risk children and youth.

He is a community activist that champions issues surrounding service delivery, an advocate for the LGBTQI community and a passionate activist of Gender-based Violence in his area. In the year 2020, he assisted seven people from his community who were less fortunate by providing them with food parcels through working with social development.

Thandaza Piliso recently graduated Cum Laude for NDip in Human Resource Management, and is currently completing her Advanced Diploma in Human Resource Management at Walter Sisulu University. She is also a member of the South African Board of People Practices. In 2018 she served as Deputy Chairperson for a house committee, as Class representative from 2018 to 2019, and as the People Development and Technology department Academic Society Chairperson. She is an e-Learning Assistant for the CLTD WSU department. Through her Facebook page - Growing Together with Thandaza she has devoted her time to provide voluntary university application assistance to South African youth who seek to further their studies at a higher institution but do not have the means or face technological challenges in doing so.

Aluncedo Zikhali is a 24-year-old from the rural areas of the Ludeke location in the Mbizana District, Eastern Cape. She is a student at Walter Sisulu University currently doing her Honours in Bachelor of Administration. She is a dedicated, hardworking, disciplined, respectful, patient, determined, and ambitious type of person. Her interests inside and outside the university include being involved in leadership, management, lending a hand and uplifting the community through education. She helps young people enter higher learning institutions. She is currently working as a Writing Centre Assistant at her university, where she assists students with any academic-related issues. She learned leadership, communication, working with different types of people, and teamwork at the Writing Centre.

Pamella Blaai is currently studying towards her advanced diploma in Internal Auditing formerly known as B-TECH at Walter Sisulu University. Pamela is from a very disadvantaged background in terms of resources and exposure, she has taken it upon herself to be the lighting armour of those in the dark and those whose hopes are frail by always encouraging them to apply for school, her my main focus is on Matriculants. She does this by always informing them when school application open and giving them career guidance because they are in areas where they are not able to have access to information regarding courses offered at universities. She supplies the students with data and gives them clear guidelines as to how to go on with the process to the end and encourages them to apply for school funding such as NSFAS ,FUNDZA LUSHAKA etc.

She goes the extra mile of enforcing the importance of education and the importance of youth involvement in to positive things because she strongly believes that FUTURE IS theirs. She sometimes gathers teenagers to warn them about the dangers of drugs use and teenage pregnancy.