What role does the student-community have to play in the process of pragmatically building a state that works? Universities are by far the best environment to train leaders who possess critical thinking skills and integrity. The investment society makes per student should yield a non-passive knowledge recipient product student that ought to serve the civil service and beyond. This piece is an intersecting thought on how simple formations such as student societies in universities are an act of pragmatically building a state that works by carving a leadership to serve the future state. The Madibaz Youth Parliament is such of an act, a powerful one at most.
The student-youth community shouldn’t be confused. They are the next group of the civil service and leaders who ought to define and curate a future South African state. The onus is on them to hold critical discourse in different spaces of expression to craft the future they consensually deserve. The onus is on them to ensure that they have their own calibre of leadership with integrity and vision. KwaZulu kuthiwa inkunzi isematholeni.
They must not inherit a broken language of governance and call it progress. They must question, even when questioning feels like rebellion. For it is in the gentle stubbornness of young minds that nations are reborn. They must know that tomorrow bends to the will of those who dare to imagine it differently.
In Nelson Mandela University (NMU), a fresh calibre of student leadership has arrived with the launch of the Madibaz Youth Parliament (MYP). This is a student-youth community platform designed to amplify student voices, nurture informed activism, and bridge the gap between students and university decision-making structures. At its core drive, MYP stands for more than governance; it represents a movement of purpose, inclusion, and empowering the unheard marginalized voices of the student-youth community. For the youth who gather under its name, MYP is not simply a structure; it is an awakening.
A people centred approach guides the Parliaments priorities for its time ahead, which includes advocating for academic support and mental health awareness supporting the work of Emthonjeni Student Wellness, tackling financial exclusion, and strengthening student representation in university decision making forums. As part of its early initiatives, a webinar on Microsoft Teams on October 3rd was hosted, focusing on policy formation and parliamentary procedures. The session led by Sthandazile Ntshangase – a former NMU-SRC secretary and current member of MYP’s Recruitment and Membership department – brought students together in an engaging informative discussion about how university policies are shaped and how students can actively participate in these policy processes. It was more than a meeting; it was a conversation that reminded students that policy is nit distant paperwork but a mirror of lived experience. There was a quiet sense of possibility – that in learning the language of governance, students were also learning the language of change.
Effective communication lies at the heart of MYP’s mission, this is where the society’s Public Relations (PR) team takes charge. Public Relations Officer Megan Potgieter is leading the charge in making the Parliament’s work visible, relatable, and accessible to every student.
“Effective communication is key to activism,” Potgieter said. “It helps turn complex issues into relatable stories that motivate students to act. Our goal is to make sure every student feels that their voice and perspective matter.” The PR department plans to strengthen engagement through the already existing youth common mediums of communication such as social media pages, an interactive student WhatsApp group, and a Monday newsletter that invites student feedback and dialogue. By creating consistent-approachable communication spaces, the MYP hopes to ensure that every student feels heard and involved. Furthermore, the MYP welcomes all students to be part of its growing movement. “You don’t have to be a confident debater or experienced activist to make a difference,” Potgieter added. “We’re here for the everyday student who feels that something should be done at this moment.”
As part of its commitment to student engagement, the Parliament’s PR department also promoted the recently held SRC elections, urging students to check their voting eligibility via the links provided on the social media platforms and to check their university emails for the official voting instructions. The Parliament emphasizes that this was an important opportunity for students to select leaders who truly reflected their interests, values, and vision for the campus community. Students were reminded that participation is more than a duty – it is a declaration of belief in their own power to shape the university they wish to inhabit. Every vote cast was not just a choice, but a voice in the chorus of the Madibaz Youth, calling for representation that is both accountable and visionary.
Looking into the culture of student representation that the Parliament is building, its launch marks the beginning of an era filled with collaboration, advocacy, and inspiration – an era in which students are invited to lead together, act bolder, and craft their own envisioned functioning state. This constitutes the very essence of the act of pragmatic state building with a civil service that is information driven. The MYP is more than a platform; it’s a call to action, a celebration of student growing agency, and a promise that the future of campus leadership belongs to those willing to step forward and serve with integrity. As a platform, it exists amongst many student societies at NMU such as the MandelaUni REFA chapter, the Debate society, the Law society and other student advocacy societies brewing a new calibre of leadership.
In essence, the MYP stands as both mirror and beacon: reflecting the aspirations of a generation ready to lead, and illuminating the path toward a more inclusive, thoughtful, and accountable student governance. It reminds us that leadership is not inherited, but earned through dialogue, action, and the courage to imagine a better collective future. The MYP is not simply shaping leaders; it is nurturing a movement, one that will echo far beyond the walls of the university, carrying with it the promise of a thoughtful, engaged, and empowered generation.
–MediaHouse150
