She is a politician by day, a student by night and a full-time mother to her five-year-old son.
Tshegofatso Mashabela, 32, left a village for the city to chase her dreams and join the EFF.
The EFF Tshwane regional secretary and City of Tshwane’s MMC of health grew up in Ga-Mongatane village, named after Bapedi King Sekhukhune, outside Burgersfort in Limpopo.
She is a politician by day, a student by night and a full-time mother to her five-year-old son. “In the village, the narrative that it takes a village to raise a child is actually true. In the village, you are all a family.
“But in the city, you look out for yourself. Children here are exposed to opportunities. We come from a rural mentality,” she said.
Schooling
Mashabela, who matriculated with distinctions in English, Sepedi and accounting, used a laptop for the first time when she started studying at university.
“My love for politics started in varsity. As a first-year student at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), there was the rebirth of the EFF student command.
“I was an academic mentor at the department before I fell in love with institutional politics. “I got more exposed to politics and ran for faculty. When I joined the faculty, I joined the EFF student command as the deputy president and then as acting president at TUT,” she added.
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Studies
When Mashabela is not fulfilling her duties as a mother, she is furthering her studies. “In the morning, I do oversight, and at night I focus on my studies. If I need to be on an oversight visit, I am there, unless there are party commitments I need to attend to because I was an EFF member before I became an MMC, so the EFF comes first,” she said.
Mashabela said the EFF remains her first love. “Home Affairs says I am not married. I am in a relationship, whether it’s promising or not, only Jesus knows,” she said. “After hours, I reserve my night for academic purposes.I am a bookworm.
Multitasking
“I just completed human resource management and labour relations at TUT, a national diploma in BTech and an advanced diploma and a post-graduate MBA business course and am enrolling for my doctor’s degree at the University of Johannesburg.
“When I am not in my red overalls, I am busy with academics,” she said. Mashabela is also a dedicated churchgoer and belongs to the Zionist Christian Church.
“There are many Tshegos. There’s the mommy, there’s Stabus the politician, that’s my res name. “Then there’s Tshegofatso, who is a leader, because I am a Leo.
“I am a girl from Ga-Mongatane who came to the city and aspired to dreams they thought weren’t possible, coming from a rural village.
“Tshegofatso is that dream chaser. I will always chase what I want and get it; I am like that. I am this resilient person who does not give up in life.”
MMC
As the MMC for health in Tshwane, Mashabela recently faced a two-week wave of criticism after publicly stating that clinics are not border control points.
“Our clinics are sanctuaries of care, not checkpoints for immigration enforcement. Despite being viewed by some as the ‘enemy of the people’ I remain unwavering.
“I stand for what is true and principled, not merely what is politically popular. “This is not just a policy stance; it is a moral imperative grounded in our constitution and our shared humanity,” Mashabela said she was inspired by the life of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, one of SA’s most iconic freedom fighters.
“She endured decades of harassment, imprisonment and separation from her family, yet she remained a steadfast pillar in the fight against apartheid. “She became a symbol of courage, resistance and determination, showing that even in the harshest circumstances, one can lead and inspire.
“She is one of the most powerful women in our political history, especially in knowing when to step aside – not as an act of cowardice, but as a strategy to ensure that your comeback is greater than any obstacle,” she said.
Red
Red is her favourite colour. “It is part of my identity. The red that I love is a red that encourages wisdom. “Wearing red in South Africa means you are ready to challenge the status quo, and you do not allow the apartheid regime to overrule what democracy means to us, a black nation.
“Red is about resilience, being a fighter. You must never feel like your background determines where you are supposed to go in life.”
Tshwane
Mashabela’s favourite places in Tshwane include Sunnyside and Soshanguve.
“I love the kazi vibe. Being a student at TUT, you experience Sunnyside. “Sunnyside has that thing where it is known to swallow dreams.
If you can pass that phase, you have made it in Pretoria. If you can survive Sunnyside, you can even survive Johannesburg.”
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