"I think I have encountered two evidentiary challenges: One being black and two is being a femme body"

Katleho Cathy Mthenjane, 19 years old, 3^rd year student in the University of Cape Town, serving as SRC Secretary General.

 

I think I have encountered two evidentiary challenges: One being black and two is being a femme body. SA politics are pioneered and consist of whiteness especially in post-colonial institutions such as UCT whereby the representations of blackness are limited. Having to find myself struggling to be in a society that is anti-blackness, and the 2^nd challenge is being a femme body in politics, whereby I am firstly sexualized and stereotyped as a mad black woman before I could even open my mouth and broader to that comes the undertones of misogyny, but I have always seemed to defy or rather advocate against these odds. I believe all SA women can relate.

My survival technique is always to adapt or die, we live in the 4^th industrial revolution whereby the world waits for no men to adapt or succumb to their circumstances. My survival technique is based on the need to become the change I want to see. In these difficult times is easy to fold arms and blame the system, unlike other I have actively opted to take part in brewing solutions and that motivates me to survive.

I have endured numerous peaks and lows in my life, but then there’s nothing like easy victory when you are a hard worker. In my years of chairing there are two thing which will always remain relevant to the masses, one: The role I have played as Asia Youth International Model United Nations delegate in Malaysia to bring solutions to WHO in addressing issues of mental health in 3^rd world countries and my 2^nd highlight is having to live the experience of being a femme body comrade in my role as SRC SG the trials and triumphs that came with it and understanding the need to lead your people and putting them 1^st

The high unemployment is the failure of the state allocation resources and aftermath of a corrupt government. The solution to high unemployment rate is the implementation of public policy designed by the judiciary and state to specifically tackle the issue of unemployment this includes the involvement of youth in such structures to deliberate what the public economy should do to resolve the matter and such policy must have a setoff plans and initiatives that greatly support entrepreneurship within marginalized communities.

Furthermore, the issue of free education should be on government’s cards. The education system of this country especially in public schools fails to prepare and adequately train learners for tertiary education hence there’s a decline in learners from public schools attaining tertiary education and the government fails to account for this aspect.