Sandile Mnikati, Lindah Mbaisi Chavuya, Eunice Ndeyapo Shapange, and Matshidiso Lencoasa are experts on public policy, planning, and governance from across the continent. We spoke with them about their visions for just governance while they were at Cornell University this summer completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI).
Sandile Mnikathi is the deputy mayor of uMngeni Municipality in South Africa. He is also a member of the Democratic Alliance’s provincial management committee, which oversees the day-to-day running of the party in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. He also sits on the Democratic Alliances Provincial Executive Committee, which is the highest decision-making body of the party in the province.
Lindah Chavuya has more than 10 years of experience in communication management, relationship building, public relations, and advocacy. Currently, Lindah is the communications lead at the Cereal Growers Association and focuses on communication strategy development, documentation, and dissemination of farmer impact stories, partner management, and delivery of general communication assignments.
Eunice Shapange has more than three years of experience in urban planning. Eunice is a junior technical adviser at GIZ-Namibia under the Inclusive and Sustainable Urban Development Project, focusing on improving the housing and living conditions of people in informal settlements. She participated in the pilot of the Flexible Land Tenure System project in Freedom Square, Gobabis. Eunice holds a master’s degree in Town and Regional Planning.
Matshidiso Lencoasa is a policy advocate with more than seven years of experience, which began with the FeesMustFall student protests. Currently, Matshidiso serves as a budget researcher at SECTION27, where she advises the South African government on fiscal policy and interventions that advance equality and socioeconomic rights in the country. She currently serves on steering committees at the Budget Justice Coalition and Imali Yethu, and she forms part of the Fiscal Openness Accelerator advisory group for the National Treasury.
Books, Links, & Articles
- “Could Joseph Boakai do a Biden in Liberia’s run-off election?” by Robtel Neajai Pailey
- Afrobarometer
- Africa Brief Newsletter Foreign Policy Newsletter
- “Kenya’s courts were under political pressure: how a constitutional reform empowered judges.” by Thalia Gerzso
- Post-Election Violence in Africa: The Impact of Judicial Independence by Meshack Simati
- The Principles and Power of Vision by Dr. Myles Munroe
- Manifesto: A New Vision for South Africa by Songezo Zibi
- Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane
- The Girl with the Louding Voice: A Novel by Abi Daré
- The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle