Makgatla Thepa-Lephale
Nominee's Province:
Limpopo
Project Name/Description:
Community Activist: Literacy Development, Education, and Women Empowerment
Thepa-Lephale’s calling was written in the stars when she was recruited, at the tender age of 16, to be a part of the National Council of African Women’s youth wing.
Soon after joining the organisation, she went on to take on several leadership positions. Once she assumed her tertiary studies, she became a student activist and leader for both political and apolitical structures, where she led organisations such as the Black Management Forum Student Chapter, was a member of the Student Parliament and the debate society.
In her community, she went on to be involved with the Molemole Youth Council and became part of the Botlokwa Community radio station, and the Bohle Education Trust. This work was to be a propeller to more community work, such as founding a literacy club and library.
Makgatla is also a social commentator who is often invited on local radio stations to give commentary on women empowerment issues and literacy issues.
Makgatla has plans to fully concentrate on full-time lecturing at Technical Vocational Educational Training, an area she has an advanced diploma qualification. She does not plan to stop her activism work in women empowerment and her work in the literary space.
Her list of inspiring women includes Brenda Fassie, Afeni Shakur Wangari Maathai, Rosa Parks, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Nina Simone, Veronica Sobukwe and Miriam Makeba, with the latter leaving her with a favourite quote: “Girls are the future mothers of our society, and we must focus on their well-being.”
