“These are the things I take seriously. The basis of life is land. We don’t live on clouds; we live on land, and whoever owns the land, owns the bodies on the land. So our existence is owned by someone”.
Mthobisi Hadebe and Vuyani Pambo are more than just students at their respective institutions. They also are representatives of their political parties.
With different backgrounds, the two are very similar because of their fondness of politics, at quite a juvenile age.
“I was a bit of a radical when I was at St. David’s,” says the 24 year-old Pambo, who is the EFF’s convener at Wits University.
Born and bred in Soweto, he went to primary school just two streets away from his Diepkloof home.
Pambo was drawn into politics during his high school years.
He says he felt like a foreigner at St. Davids, where pupils were predominately white.
"I think that’s what drew me to politics because when we were asked to do speeches we would use the Bikos, Sobukwes and Malcom X and other great black leaders as references because we were trying to understand our own world,” he says.
Though it was not political, he does say he and a few of the black kids that attended at St. Davids were able to pick up the undertones of their surroundings.
He says seeing kids his age that drove to school in their own cars, while he spent more than 2 hours commuting, brought about a lot of questions on the young Pambo.
Hadebe talks about WASP:
This is different from Hadebe’s experience. He was born in KZN, in Nkandla. He was raised by his grandparents, until he was about ten, where he moved to Gauteng to join his parents in Vosloorus, Ekhuruleni. His introduction to politics was not as radical as Pambo's.”
I got into politics in 2009 I think, where I was elected deputy SRC leader at school,” says Hadebe, who went on to lead the school’s RCL the following year whilst doing his matric.
Both Vuyani and Mthobisi come from families that are not even slightly involved in politics.” I’m a typical black kid, raised by a single mother, says Pambo whose uncle played the role of a father to him.
Pambo and Hadebe were both lured to their respective parties by the policies.
"I was a member of SASCO before I joined WASP. Their policies made a lot of sense to me, I saw them to be extremely rational and logical,” says Hadebe who was also told about the party by a friend.
Pambo talks about the importance of land distribution
Pambo was first a member of the Black Consciousness Movement before joining the EFF.
He says his family has always waved support for the ruling party come Election Day, “but I realised through time, the ANC I took seriously, did not reciprocate".
So when the EFF began talks on the issue of redistribution of land, the subject was music to Pambo’s ears.
“These are the things I take seriously. The basis of life is land. We don’t live on clouds; we live on land, and whoever owns the land, owns the bodies on the land. So our existence is owned by someone” the young man says.
He says even though black people have freedom, they are still owned in the form of labour and even things such as leisure.
“Black people don’t have time for themselves. Our mothers are always working, even on weekends,” says Pambo.
“I’m currently doing third year in my LLB degree, this is my second degree,” says Pambo.
His first degree was a BA in African Literature and International Relation, which he currently tutors at Wits.
Hadebe is another tutor. He teaches Economic Development and Leadership.
”I started as an assistant tutor in 2012, and was appointed a senior tutor last year, for EDP,” says Hadebe, who is also currently doing his Honours in Public Management Government.
When I ask the two individuals about their ambitions of leading their respective parties one day, both their answers were cautious with a touch of modesty.
”I subscribe to the politics of being appreciated. So, I would not say I want to be this or that position, but I just want to serve and wherever and whenever the party sees me fit, I’ll serve,” says Pambo.
Hadebe on the other hand has ambitions to lead one day, but believes the party will select him if they think he has what it takes.
”I just want to make a difference in people’s lives,” he says.
Students today, leaders tomorrow: young political activists
“These are the things I take seriously. The basis of life is land. We don’t live on clouds; we live on land, and whoever owns the land, owns the bodies on the land. So our existence is owned by someone”.
Mthobisi Hadebe and Vuyani Pambo are more than just students at their respective institutions. They also are representatives of their political parties.
With different backgrounds, the two are very similar because of their fondness of politics, at quite a juvenile age.
“I was a bit of a radical when I was at St. David’s,” says the 24 year-old Pambo, who is the EFF’s convener at Wits University.
Born and bred in Soweto, he went to primary school just two streets away from his Diepkloof home.
Pambo was drawn into politics during his high school years.
He says he felt like a foreigner at St. Davids, where pupils were predominately white.
"I think that’s what drew me to politics because when we were asked to do speeches we would use the Bikos, Sobukwes and Malcom X and other great black leaders as references because we were trying to understand our own world,” he says.
Though it was not political, he does say he and a few of the black kids that attended at St. Davids were able to pick up the undertones of their surroundings.
He says seeing kids his age that drove to school in their own cars, while he spent more than 2 hours commuting, brought about a lot of questions on the young Pambo.
Hadebe talks about WASP:
This is different from Hadebe’s experience. He was born in KZN, in Nkandla. He was raised by his grandparents, until he was about ten, where he moved to Gauteng to join his parents in Vosloorus, Ekhuruleni. His introduction to politics was not as radical as Pambo's.”
I got into politics in 2009 I think, where I was elected deputy SRC leader at school,” says Hadebe, who went on to lead the school’s RCL the following year whilst doing his matric.
Both Vuyani and Mthobisi come from families that are not even slightly involved in politics.” I’m a typical black kid, raised by a single mother, says Pambo whose uncle played the role of a father to him.
Pambo and Hadebe were both lured to their respective parties by the policies.
"I was a member of SASCO before I joined WASP. Their policies made a lot of sense to me, I saw them to be extremely rational and logical,” says Hadebe who was also told about the party by a friend.
Pambo talks about the importance of land distribution
Pambo was first a member of the Black Consciousness Movement before joining the EFF.
He says his family has always waved support for the ruling party come Election Day, “but I realised through time, the ANC I took seriously, did not reciprocate".
So when the EFF began talks on the issue of redistribution of land, the subject was music to Pambo’s ears.
“These are the things I take seriously. The basis of life is land. We don’t live on clouds; we live on land, and whoever owns the land, owns the bodies on the land. So our existence is owned by someone” the young man says.
He says even though black people have freedom, they are still owned in the form of labour and even things such as leisure.
“Black people don’t have time for themselves. Our mothers are always working, even on weekends,” says Pambo.
“I’m currently doing third year in my LLB degree, this is my second degree,” says Pambo.
His first degree was a BA in African Literature and International Relation, which he currently tutors at Wits.
Hadebe is another tutor. He teaches Economic Development and Leadership.
”I started as an assistant tutor in 2012, and was appointed a senior tutor last year, for EDP,” says Hadebe, who is also currently doing his Honours in Public Management Government.
When I ask the two individuals about their ambitions of leading their respective parties one day, both their answers were cautious with a touch of modesty.
”I subscribe to the politics of being appreciated. So, I would not say I want to be this or that position, but I just want to serve and wherever and whenever the party sees me fit, I’ll serve,” says Pambo.
Hadebe on the other hand has ambitions to lead one day, but believes the party will select him if they think he has what it takes.
”I just want to make a difference in people’s lives,” he says.
Click here to read about another young political activist
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