Be the change

Parktown Boys’ High School Grade 11 pupil Manqoba Katane was elected chairperson of management; he said this was an opportunity for him to bring about the change he wants to see in Johannesburg.

The tenacious 16 year old said one of the council’s priorities was to bring sustainable change into the lives they will touch.

“We want to empower young people to develop self-reliant thinking,” he said.

Katane, who is also a debater, said the council would have a youth dialogue soon to establish what challenges young people face. “Resolutions from that dialogue will give us direction,” he said.

Asked what his vision of the country in 2030 was, he said, “A South Africa where race doesn’t play a part in the amount of opportunities that one gets, where everyone has access not just to education, but exceptional education.”

The council is a non-governmental organisation that consists of 76 young leaders in Grade 11, representing 38 schools in Johannesburg. It is a long-established institution in the City of Johannesburg, dating back to 1928 which makes it one of the longest running non-profit organisations in the country.

The council was formally associated with the Johannesburg City Council but is now completely self-sufficient and run by young pupils. Their mission is to develop youth leadership and potential, and to focus on the betterment of the community.

Mentalist Gilan Gork, who was once a member of the council, was present to encourage the newly-elected councillors. Gork can exhibit extraordinary feats of the mind including telepathy, precognition and mind control.

“Most of the lessons and skills I learned at council, I still continue to use in my life now – you have an opportunity that most of your peers don’t have, so use it. This is leadership,” said Gork to the incoming members.

Yakov Scheilder of King Edward VII School was elected as chief whip of the council.