Future Leaders Class of 2023

Ahmed Motloung

Ahmed Motloung is a 33-year-old South African born and raised in the East Rand township of Katlehong. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Religion from the University of Johannesburg and aspires to continue his academic journey. Growing up in a township setting, he has been exposed to much diversity albeit challenges faced by contemporary youth which has thus fueled his passion for community service and a vision for a non-racial, non-sexist society in line with the values enshrined within our constitution. He has always been passionate about social justice and believes that all people have in them the potential for good, thus he envisages, through public service and humanitarian efforts, a prosperous South Africa. Ahmed hopes to see his country as a land where everyone has equal opportunities irrespective of their race, gender, and backgrounds.

Boitumelo Shaku

I am Boitumelo Shaku, and I hold an Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pretoria. As an aspiring clinical psychologist, I have an interest in creating awareness about mental health and mental illness, as well as eliminating the stigma attached to both in South Africa. I advocate for therapy spaces to be safe, inclusive and accessible to all. I am pursuing growth in all aspects of my life.

Annah Gosebo

Annah Gosebo is an MSc candidate in Building, by research, and holds an honours degree in BSc Property Studies that she obtained in 2019 from the University of Witwatersrand. Her field of study mainly focuses on real estate investment trusts (REITs). She is a published scholar under the Springer Nature Group. Her research focuses on real estate investment trusts (REITs).She has published her research on appropriating models that appropriately capture and measure risk in REITs (‘Discrete volatilities of listed real estate funds’, in Advances in Econometrics, Operational Research, Data Science and Actuarial Studies: Techniques and Theories ed. M. Kenan Terzioğlu, Springer Nature Group, 2020; https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-85254-2_9 ).

She has an experience of working in the CAPITAL Expenditure Department at a listed REIT company. She is passionate about the empowerment of people and has been evidenced by her experience and work in several organisations that seek to help and empower communities and students. She hopes to gain the right exposure in the programme to further give her a trajectory that will speak to purpose, fulfilment and change.

Mengeti Dlamini

Mengeti Dlamini is an Economics and Computer Science graduate from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. She is working towards obtaining her Honours degree in Economic Science, and hopes to pursue her studies in the field beyond this level. She has held various leadership positions including her roles as a secretary, and then chairperson at Every Nation Campus Wits. In these positions, she has learned not only to lead but to serve, help and honour all people. She is passionate about creating change and seeing the world become a better place for all who inhabit it. She believes in championing an equitable society in which all are given equal opportunities to thrive. Through the ASRI FLP, she hopes to build a network of connections with like-minded individuals who share the same objective to bring about change in their communities, and across Southern Africa and the African continent.

Casper (Hasan) Labuschagne

Casper (Hasan) Labuschagne converted to Islam in 2013 and completed a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at Stellenbosch University that same year. In 2017, he decided to further his Islamic studies, and enrolled in the Ālimiyah programme at Dār al-Ulūm al-Arabiyah al-Islāmiyah, Strand (DUAI). He completed this programme in 2022. He hopes to contribute to the reinvigoration of South African civil society and government with decision-making based on traditional values and compassion for human struggles. He is especially interested history, philosophy, interfaith dialogue, and geopolitics. Through participation in the ASRI FLP he hopes to equip himself with the skills required to be an effective leader and a role-model for the future generations of South Africans.

Duduzile Tibane

Duduzile is a pioneering community builder and social change catalyst dedicated to mental and emotional emancipation. She completed has a first degree in Biology, and a postgraduate diploma in Business Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. She has always had a passion for service and strives to advance individual well-being by constantly identifying and embracing opportunities for improvement. As such, she has held various leadership positions, including serving on the Wits All Residence Council. She chairs the Joint Committee, a structure dedicated to cultivating sustainable platforms that positively contribute to the development of society. She is the centre director of EduKit, an NPO, and the marketing director of a community-centric initiative focused on mobilizing resources to alleviate poverty. Duduzile’s goal is to bring about transformative change within communities and thereby improve both accountability and self-sufficiency across South African society.

Fazila Chiwele

Fazila Chiwele is passionate about making a difference in the lives of people she meets. She completed her Early Childhood Development Diploma from the Professional Child Care College in 2010. She has been an ECD practitioner in a few schools around Johannesburg between 2011 and 2013. In 2014 she began working for the family of Saudi Arabian Prince Faisal al-Faisal as a private au pair, which position she held until 2021. In 2022, upon returning from abroad she then took over the chairperson position of her late mother’s organization, the Poortjie Islamic Centre Pre-School. Growing up in Poortjie, and coming from a family of teachers entrusted with educational responsibilities within the community, and after being exposed to first class experience in education abroad, she realised a lot of gaps in access to not only resources but also information, and this motivates her to wish to close these gaps. She is passionate about making a difference in her community and other communities like hers and wishes to work in the educational sphere in her community to ensure access to the best educational resources and information. She hopes to build a strong and lasting relationship between herself and ASRI through her participation in the 2023 ASRI Future Leaders Programme.

Jonathan Yahya West

Jonathan Yahya West is a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Law, Accounting, and Marketing, and also a Bachelor of Laws degree. He wishes to pursue a career in activism focused on the environment and environmental justice.

Through his experiences traveling he was able to identify a disconnect between himself and the South African reality. He wishes not only to bridge that gap but also to bring about sustainable change to South Africa. He believes that there are lessons to be learned in every situation and from every individual; we need only listen with an open heart and an open mind. His compassion is matched only by his rationality, a realistic intellect with an optimistic spirit. It is his goal in life to follow in the footsteps of his parents by dedicating his life to helping others.

Maida Hassan Malik

Maida Hassan Malik is a dedicated, technologically advanced professional who is adaptable, agile and a hardworking individual. She has the ability to use initiative and self-motivation to work hard under pressure, both individually and in teams. She values ethics, respect for diversity, and professionalism. Additionally, she is able to plan and be structured in her approach to work, and therefore she is efficient and reliable. Maida holds the following qualifications from the University of Johannesburg: a Postgraduate Diploma in Operations Management (2022), and certificates in Artificial Intelligence in the 4th Industrial revolution, and in African Insights (both 2021). She is currently persuing a Masters degree in Operations Management at the University of Johannesburg. During her studies she obtained 12 distinctions. She has been a part of the Muslim Students Association of UJ since 2018, serving on the events team in which capacity she helped to organize, implement, and execute fund-raising events, Qurbani drives, and winter warmth events, amongst others. Maida has also tutored in several modules at UJ since 2021.

Makgabo Legodi

I am Makgabo Legodi, a postgraduate student majoring in International Relations and Political Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. My research interests involve public policy, diplomacy, governance, and foreign policy. I have headed several mentorship and leadership initiative programmes for students at the University of the Witwatersrand over the past four years. Through these positions, I have honed my skills in leadership, research, teamwork, and professional networking. I am passionate about governance and development and wish to contribute to efforts to create a well-functioning government and empowering people to sustain themselves and their societies. My professional aspiration is to participate in research, and initiate projects that will contribute to better governance as well as improve relations between people and state entities. Joining the ASRI FLP program will not only broaden my knowledge of leadership and governance, but it will also equip me with the right tools and mindset to enter the professional workforce prepared to perform at my best.

Nolwazi Mahlangu

I am Nolwazi Mahlangu. I have an Honours degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, where I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Governance (Public Policy). I have volunteered at various organizations such as Unicef and The Assist, where I have undertaken leadership roles in outreach initiatives and community organizing. I am interested in issues of local governance, the realisation of human rights, and formulating public policy which promotes human development. The experience of poor local governance and human rights inaccessibility in my hometown has driven my interests in these issues. I want to contribute to community development across South Africa. I look forward to working in spaces that advance social transformation and development in the country, and believe that through ASRI I will expand my knowledge base and acquire skills that will be instrumental in my future career.

Noxolo Simphiwe Maphumulo

Noxolo Simphiwe Maphumulo (Salaamah) is a South African Muslim from Soweto. She has been involved with the Soweto Muslim Shurah, facilitating classes in computer literacy in Orlando. She is the founder and former secretary of KMY (Kasi Muslim Youth), an organization that aims to empower Muslim youth in Soweto. She is currently freelancing for the Natives Agenda, developing and securing economic freedom for Black Natives in Gauteng. She is fluent in Turkish and has intermediate facility in Arabic. She is a graduate of IPSA College (Cape Town), having attained a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies and Arabic.

Ruslan Mustafa

Ruslan Mustafa is completing a Master’s degree in Historical Studies at the University of Johannesburg, and holds an Honours degree in History from the same university (2019). His dissertation is about the institutional history of non-racial sporting boards, with a specific focus on the apartheid era South African Cricket Board of Control (SACBOC). Ruslan is a driven individual who is dedicated, hardworking, and meticulous in his work. He is a good listener and brings an emotional maturity to any professional setting. He is a team player who can also work independently. He believes in promoting social justice and creating a better society, particularly for the underprivileged. His interests include politics and sports such as tennis, cricket, and football. His hobbies include reading about history and science.

Sadia Rantseli

Sadia is a qualified electrician, a certified life coach and facilitator. She’s also a wife, mother, and student of the Holy Qur’an. Working closely with the youth as an education assistant at a high school in the Duduza township made her realise that the young people are capable of breaking the cycle of poverty in their communities; this can be achieved by transforming their mindsets through encouragement, guidance and leadership. She’s a Million Stars coach, a co-founder of the Duduza Muslim Women’s Forum (DMWF), under the aegis of the South African National Muslim Women’s Forum (SANMWF), as well as an executive member of the Sistership-United in Deen initiative. These organisations serve humanity, empower women and young people by offering emotional, spiritual, and physical support globally. Having grown up in an orphanage her purpose and duty are to pass the kindness forward by empowering and assisting those in need and going through what she has overcome.

Somila Radoni

Somila Radoni is passionate about community development and advocating for the social challenges facing young people in South Africa. She volunteers in youth programmes that promote change in communities. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Fort Hare. She is also a Fort hare Autumn School alumna; this initiative trains talented students from Eastern Cape universities to enhance their critical thinking and leadership skills, and enhance their knowledge of social democracy and political economy. She is a Youth Policy Committee member at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Somila is currently doing a ALX Africa Full Stack course and believes artificial intelligence has the potential to help tackle some of the world’s most challenging social problems.

Umamah Bakharia

Umamah Bakharia is a journalist eager to learn more about the South African Constitution, and about politics and governance, in order to understand the context and the environment which shape her reportage. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, and an Honours degree in Journalism & Media Studies, both from the North West University (NWU Potchefstroom). Umamah hopes her journalism can help hold people in power to account and she strives to have her reportage inform and empower citizens to hold those in power to account. Umamah expects that the ASRI FLP 2023 programme will help her understand the dynamics of South Africa and enhance her professional abilities.

Tshedza Sikhwari

Mr. Sikhwari is a scholar who has consistently demonstrated a high level of concentration, ambition, creativity, dedication, and commitment to learning. He has unquestionable self-motivation and imagination, which contribute to his go-getter attitude. Mr. Sikhwari is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy degree in International Politics at the University of Limpopo. He holds Master of Arts degree in Political Science, and an Honours and Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Venda. Mr. Sikhwari has extensive research experience, having worked as a research assistant at UniVen Ccommunity Engagement, and receiving research training through the Annual African Emerging & Established Researcher Training Academy hosted by HSRC. He also took part in a summer school program in Germany and served as the data collecting coordinator for the University of Amsterdam-University of Venda collaborative research programme. Mr. Sikhwari currently serves as secretary of the UniVen Alumni Chapter, and he previously served on the SRC as the Minister of Sports and Recreation in 2014/15. Mr. Sikhwari volunteered and worked in the UniVen office of International Relations and he was a university tutor teaching a research module.

Uzair Moosa

My name is Uzair Moosa. I am from Azaadville. I completed Islamic Studies at Jami’ah Al-Ulum Al-Islamiyyah (2021) and simultaneously completed an undergraduate degree in Community Health Psychology at the University of South Africa (2022). I am currently pursuing my Honours degree in Psychology at Unisa. I want to assist the youth with mental health issues and help them overcome the life challenges that they face. I wish to become an educational psychologist so that I can better understand child development and address the issues at their bases. I understand the challenges the youth face such as divorce and bullying because I personally went through those challenges myself.

Pettavia Madibana

I am Pettavia Madibana. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg with majors in Law and Politics. It is by virtue of my interest in political science and events that I was elected as a member of the Wits Mail and Guardian Society executive team. It is from that experience that I realized the major role politics and the government of South Africa play in judicial procedures. Given the inaccessibility of legal services in marginalized communities like my own, I wish to bridge the gap that exists between the working-, middle-, and upper classes in this regard.