KNYSNA NEWS - "Roar, young lion, roar!" This is how ANC members encouraged Thando Matika when they were canvasing for him to be elected Ward 8 councillor after Victor Molosi's murder last year, and roar he did once voted in. But little did they know his bite was going to as effective.
Knysna's youngest councillor at 31, Matika was Molosi's right-hand man for 13 years before the latter's death in July 2018, and since being sworn into council in November last year, he has been involved in various community projects knowing full well he carries the onus of filling the big shoes of a leader of Molosi's calibre.
Matika says because he has learnt much from Molosi, he is "picking up from where Molosi left off and doing my best because that is what he would've done".
Involved in various projects
Some of the projects include the newly opened Dolores McCallum Play Park in Concordia, donating equipment to the Happy Kids Creche, and the ongoing project of cleaning dumping sites and turning them into recreational facilities.
Matika boasts certificates in local economic development, basic organisational administration and law enforcement, and he is currently enrolled at the University of Cape Town for a project management course.
Even though this rookie councillor has a lot of weight to carry on his shoulders, he does so with confidence, which he says he gets from having been active in politics since his high school years at Percy Mdala High School, and he is able to keep a level head because he has learnt what it is to be a leader "through Molosi".
Challenging journey
"Of course this journey is not without challenges, which I'm happy to meet," he says.
One such challenge, he divulges, is his young age, especially when he gets invited to functions and people not only expect an older person, but an officially married man to boot – even though he is in a relationship with Noluvo Kilimani, the mother of his eight-year-old daughter Mihlali and they are expecting their second baby.
What sets him apart, he believes, is that he makes a point of keeping the channels of communication open in his community. "Young people, people in general like being consulted. They like being informed about what is happening in their ward and have engagements.
"The meetings with committee members and feedback sessions ensure that we are always on the same page and they help keep healthy relations."
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