As the City of Cape Town’s youngest ever elected ward councillor, Lwazi Phakade can now actively pursue his passion for political and social activism that was first ignited in his youth and further shaped at Stellenbosch University.

The 27-year-old was elected ward councillor of the township of Langa in the local government elections in November 2021 after a “rigorous and strenuous election process”.

He says his decision to return to the community where he was born and raised and where the foundations for his activism were laid was not a difficult one. “Growing up in the old migrant labour hostels in Langa, I was always shocked by the dire inequalities and inadequate services that affected residents on a daily basis.”

Lwazi also spent a significant part of his youth in the Eastern Cape town of Gcuwa, a village with “very little or no service delivery”. “Experiencing these realities is what initially ignited my activism,” he said.

But it was at SU, where he graduated with a BA degree in Social Dynamics in 2019, where his political and social activism was largely shaped. “Having Political Science and History as my majors helped me deepen my understanding of some of the challenges that our country faces, such as poverty, unemployment and crime. My studies also expanded my horizons to a world completely different from the one I come from,” he explains. “I came to understand how other societies in the world deal with their challenges.”

He adds: “My time at Stellenbosch was also about championing the struggles of students on campus. I was part of the student body that formed the interest group Open Stellenbosch, which helped drive transformation at the University. In 2015, I was elected to the Students’ Representative Council, and I represented Western Cape students as a provincial convener of the South African Students Congress. I was at the forefront of the #FeesMustFall campaign.”

However, he is also quick to point out the role that his family – his late grandmother, grandfather and mother as well as his aunt – played in paving the way for him to become an activist.

“My family shaped my life because they taught me humility and the art of fighting for what you believe in. I will forever be grateful to them,” he says.

The young politician finds his work as a ward councillor fulfilling and enjoyable, as he gets to improve people’s lives directly by “finding immediate solutions to complex problems”.

Lwazi is very clear about his goals: “During my term, I would like to improve service delivery in my community. This includes basic access to water, electricity, sewerage and housing. I am driven to change the day-to-day conditions of poor South Africans living in shacks and in villages.” A firm believer in the power of education to bring change in the world, he continues: “I would also like to work hand in hand with high schools to grow the number of learners who make it into university or technical vocational education and training colleges.”

Outside of work, Lwazi treasures spending time with his family and his six-year-old son. He also enjoys attending socio-political discussions, is a keen skater, and loves jazz, poetry and art.

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