The 25-year-old Gugulethu Manyathi from Rockville is representing Soweto as she is the only contestant from Soweto on the SABC1 Series, One Day Leader this season.
She said that with the support from Soweto as the biggest township, she can represent it well competing for the coveted title of One Day Leader, and even better, become the first female contestant to take the title.
According to her profile, Manyathi enrolled at Monash University South Africa in 2015 to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication/Media and International Studies.
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“I became very interested in the show after seeing it on SABC1 a few years before I entered. I was curious about what it takes to make it onto the show, and because I believe in myself, when I first entered in 2016, I knew that I could one day make it to the Top 6 of the show,” Manyathi said.
One Day Leader is a television series in which six young people showcase their leadership skills by tacking modern-day South African social, economic and political issues.
Each week the six candidates are given a specific theme to consider and investigate. They use these themes to formulate not only a personal opinion but a vision that will inspire the youth and other SABC 1 viewers.
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The candidates are tasked to investigate the effects and implications that the theme has on the preselected “model” locations around the country. While executing challenges in these areas as a team, they learn about the extent of the problem and formulate a vision that’s informed by their experiences.
“I would like to focus on the importance of uplifting local communities and empowering them to help its occupants become world class citizens. I believe very much in disciplined leadership, leadership that puts people first. If we lead in integrity, we’ll have peace, progress and freedom in our society,” said Manyathi.
“As young leaders, we ought to lead ourselves well. This will allow us to lead the South African nation even better. We need a revolution in the quality of our leadership. When this revolution happens, ordinary people will benefit by being emancipated from economic and social slavery,” she added.
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According to Manyathi, there are enough platforms giving young people the opportunity to become community leaders, they just need to identify these opportunities and use them to their advantage.
“Soweto is the largest township in South Africa, and it is comprised of many communities in need. For example, there are children’s homes, old-age homes and centres for disabled people in many communities in Soweto.
“All of these organisations could use a helping hand – since South Africa has a skills shortage, young people have the opportunity to offer their time to help these organisations,” she said.
“They simply have to take the initiative of approaching these organisations to determine where and how they can contribute to the daily running of such community centres.
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“It is for this reason that I believe young people do have enough platforms to be community leaders. It’s what young people do with these opportunities that count if they are able and willing to even identify these opportunities,” she added.
Manyathi said that youth empowerment is key in bringing change and creating a better South Africa.
“If I become the first female winner of One Day Leader, I will introduce the unemployed youth in my community to ways through which they can sustain themselves and their families, without having a constant worry about how they will provide for their needs tomorrow.
“I will do this with the help of community leaders who have the knowledge and resources to help me run a programme to empower the youth in this way,” she said.
