Meet Winnie Mandela community hero

Tsietsi Kukame is a community leader of Winnie Mandela Zone Four, who has done remarkable work to make the area a better place.

In recent years, Kukame has fought for the residents of Winnie Mandela as a community leader addressing issues of service delivery.

As a resident of Winnie Mandela Zone Four, Kukame worked tirelessly with other leaders and members of the community for the development of the area in terms of people getting RDP houses, having access to electricity, proper toilets and roads.

This father of four said he started serving the community in 2005 after realising that service delivery for the residents was very slow and poor.

“When I started interacting with community members about our grievances, I noted we had no electricity, proper roads and toilets and most yards did not have RDP houses. I then joined forces with other leaders to host meetings and complete petitions to the local municipality. If government people did not bother to respond to our petitions, we organised marches (protests) to their offices to show them that we had problems that needed their attention,” said Kukame.

“To work on a plan as a leader is essential and to interact with the people, giving them a chance to express their issues, helps me to cope as a leader.

“What matters most is to see Winnie Mandela having access to basic human services and better service delivery like any other area,” added Kukame.

Kukame emphasised he was developed as a leader by the Tembisa Residents Association and Wits Law Clinic when he attended their workshops and training sessions.

“I’ve learnt how to engage with the community and how to address their issues with several organisations in the province. As a community leader, you’ve got to be driven by courage, know and understand all the spheres of the government and how to approach people. Most importantly, you must be up to date with what is happening in your municipality,” said Kukame.

Kukame recalls a time when the area started accessing services after the community hosted numerous protests to the Johannesburg Department of Housing, the Union Buildings in Pretoria and the Ekurhuleni mayoral office.

“When we were fed up with not receiving services, we would protest persistently,” added Kukame.

In a nutshell, this experience has taught Kukame compassion, tolerance and self-esteem.

“At some point, I found myself also resolving family disputes and bringing people together. One may think being a community leader is simple, but it is a tough nut to crack. I am very proud of myself and honoured by the community of Winnie Mandela because – as a result of all the up and downs – we now live in a better place.”

Who is your community hero?