#365DaysOfActivism with Phathuxolo Ndzimande

Meet Phathuxolo Ndzimande, the tenth and last born of 10 children, raised in Attridgeville. When Ndzimande grew up, he had the aspiration of becoming a doctor but life had other plans. He ventured into nursing and completed his Level 2. His journey into community development commenced a year later when he realised that he has an interest in helping the less fortunate. Ndzimande recalls “bringing strangers home when he discovered that they had no food.”

The organisations which Ndzimande works under are Rekgonne Warriors Foundation for Victims, and recently started working at a national level at Not In My Name International after volunteering for 4 years. Both these organisations support victims of gender-based violence. His own initiative is called Pheli Information Youth Hub at which information and opportunities are disseminated to those in need. According to Ndzimande, this is how they are in synergy:

“Their mandate is to service the people; to focus on assisting communities and victims of violence, and being the voice of the voiceless.”

Reflecting on how he heard about ACTIVATE!, he says he saw a flyer and applied after verifying the information. He says he had a feeling that it would lead to personal development and connections with other young people. He was driven by the fact that there are not enough young people advocating for change in their communities. Ndzimande further says that training united people from different backgrounds through sharing their experiences.

For #16DaysOfActivism, Ndzimande aims to continue advocating for the rights of women and children especially because there is an increase in violence. According to Ndzimande, conversations between men are pivotal towards curbing the scourge of gender-based violence – he further adds that the boy child will be a prime focus. Additionally, a #NOTINMYNAME Limpopo Branch will be launched in partnership with a Limpopo Activator. Lastly, there are resources being gathered to support GBV victims living with disabilities.

On a more sustainable approach, Ndzimande hopes that this becomes an ongoing  and sustainable campaign which is why he wants to collaborate with ACTIVATE! on its #365DaysOfActivism campaign. Based on his observations, he says that the government is not doing enough; that it has only scratched the surface. He further adds that the SAPS are not equipped and the criminal justice system is biased on the basis of race and social class – it is not representing the people who are affected by the injustices of this world. For instance, there is continuous funding which is directed towards organisations which are not active on the ground and this is evident towards #16DaysOfActivism. The efforts by government only serve political correctness and not the people who elected it to serve.

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