Youth Voices: Mondli Zondo
In our Youth Voices feature today we meet Mondli Zondo (27), who will be jetting off to the United States this week after being selected to participate in the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship.
Mondli firmly believes in entrepreneur, Sir Richard Branson's advice that one needs to take any opportunity that knocks on one's door, irrespective of whether or not you know how to do the job.
He credits his success to his grandmother and aunt (both deceased) who raised him after his mother's death at the age of 13.
Early days
It's this attitude as espoused by Branson that has led the Pietermaritzburg-born Parliamentary Researcher to achieve a lot in his short career. Born in the Kwazulu-Natal city on 17 March 1989, Mondli's family were forced to relocate to Queenstown in the Eastern Cape. He was a few months old at the time.
Little did anyone know that this would catapult him into the world of politics. Since his return to KZN, Mondli joined the National Freedom Party (NFP) as a Parliamentary Researcher. He's held this position for a year now.
Education
But it was his time as a Law Student at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth that truly tested his mettle as a leader.
Mondli was instrumental in the Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (DASO)'s first historic win in elections at NMMU in 2011. The ANC was unseated in a province historically considered as its stronghold. He also served as Secretary of the NMMU Debating Society and was the Founder and Editor of an online magazine, a first for any residence at NMMU.
On being chosen for the Young Leaders Initiative
It's Mondli's proven leadership track record, commitment to public and community service, volunteerism, and an energetic, positive energy, among other qualities, that earned him a place in the 2016 Young African Leaders Initiative of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
He jets off to the US later this youth month and will spend six-weeks in that country. Mondli is also scheduled to attend a function to be addressed by US President Barack Obama after his stay at the Virginia Commonwealth University where he was placed in the Public Management Track.
Listen to Mondli Zondo's full interview with ECR Newswatch's Christopher Motabogi...
