Matriculant from eMbalenhle elected National RCL President
Katlekgo Mbonani secured this prestigious position during the National RCL Summit, held from June 24 to 26, where he competed against RCL presidents from all nine provinces.
Katlekgo Mbonani, a Grade 12 learner from Thomas Nhlabathi Secondary School in eMbalenhle, has been elected the 2026 national president for the National Representative Council of Learners (RCL) executive committee.
He has been tasked with driving meaningful leadership across South Africa.
Katlekgo secured this prestigious position during the National RCL Summit, held from June 24 to 26, where he competed against RCL presidents from all nine provinces.
His leadership journey began in 2023 when he was elected junior provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga.
In 2024, he won the best speaker title in the Govan Mbeki Municipality Speakers’ Debate Competition, earning him the position of junior executive mayor of Govan Mbeki Municipality.
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“I was fortunate to hold this position for two consecutive years. That was when I started believing in myself, and my confidence began to grow,” said Katlekgo.
He later joined the Thomas Nhlabathi Secondary School debate team with the vision of developing himself and reaching his full potential.
“As a shy learner who struggled with confidence, my coaches kept encouraging me to join the debate team, but I was hesitant because I had not yet realised the potential I had,” said Katlekgo.
He described 2025 as a breakthrough year after being re-elected as junior executive mayor of Govan Mbeki Municipality.
With those leadership roles under his belt, he continued advocating for learners’ rights while excelling in debating competitions.
In 2024, he participated in the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison’s Road Safety Debate Competition, where he was named best speaker at local and regional levels before finishing second at provincial level.
“That result motivated me to work even harder the following year,” he said.
Katlekgo joined the Representative Council of Learners at Thomas Nhlabathi Secondary School for the first time early last year and was elected deputy president.
In that role, he led a march to the eMbalenhle Police Station, where they advocated for improved service delivery.
He also returned to the Road Safety Debate Competition, where he again won best speaker at local and regional levels before claiming the provincial title.
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He went on to represent Mpumalanga at the national competition, where he emerged as the overall winner.
“I worked tirelessly to prepare, and all my hard work paid off when I won first place nationally.
“The achievement gave me national recognition among ministers, MECs and other leaders in the country,” he said.
Following his national success, learners at his school elected him president of the Representative Council of Learners in January this year.
Katlekgo then advanced through the RCL election structures, being elected president of the Highveld Ridge West Circuit, followed by president of the Gert Sibande District RCL, and later president of the Mpumalanga RCL.
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His journey culminated at the National RCL Summit in Gauteng, where the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced on June 26 that he had been democratically elected as the national president.
“I am truly humbled and grateful for this achievement because I grew up struggling with severe social anxiety and never imagined myself as a leader.
“I accept the responsibility entrusted to me by learners across our country with humility, honour and a clear commitment to speak for learners whose voices have been overlooked for far too long,” said Katlekgo.
Katlekgo’s election marks a significant achievement for Thomas Nhlabathi Secondary School, eMbalenhle and Mpumalanga, as he becomes the national voice representing learners across South Africa.
