Ramaphosa is my colleague and I look forward to working with him, says 20-year-old MP

Although parliament’s youngest member has yet to meet President Cyril Ramaphosa, 20-year-old Itumeleng Ntsube is looking forward to working with the president.

“I am not nervous at all. He is my colleague and I am looking forward to working with him,” said Ntsube in an interview with Sowetan.

His political journey began at the young age of 15 where he led the Tshepo Nkohli branch of the ANC youth league as a deputy chairperson. The branch is located in his hometown of Botshabelo which is 50km east of Bloemfontein.

He told the publication that he was motivated to make a change by the “terrible living conditions that out people were subjected to”.

“I was very young at the time, but I understood clearly that unless we stood up and fought for change, our situation would remain the same,” he added.

Among his other inspirations are the likes of Louis Farrakhan, Julius Nyerere, Thomas Sankara, and Ace Magashule.

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Now that he is in a senior position, Ntsube remains adamant that he is still guided by that very same drive to see people’s living conditions improved.

“I hope to use my time there to bring about changes,” said Ntsube of his next five years in parliament.

During that time, he also plans on obtaining his master’s degree.

Ntsube matriculated last year and is currently studying towards a qualification in education at the CUT Bloemfontein campus.

“I will get my masters in political science and it will be up to the ANC to decide where to take me. It is only the ANC which will decide the next path for me.”

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