Zandspruit academic inspires change and fortune

Zandspruit born and bred community activist, Nhlanhla George Nkosi, continues to be living proof that background does not determine anyone’s future or success.

The 36-year-old, who lives by the famous Mahatma Gandhi quote ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’, did not allow the social ills of his community to deter his dreams of being a brilliant academic and dream chaser.

Not just any academic, Nkosi is a Wits University BA Degree in Management and Political Science alumnus and post-graduate hopeful.

This founder of the Zandspruit Sports Forum, a body which seeks to formalise sports in the community, is a youthful man who has assumed a handful of roles in a number of structures to help build his beloved community.

Among his many responsibilities, Nkosi is a ward committee member and chairs the community development portfolio which deals with sports, arts and culture.

He said the aim of this portfolio, the responsibilities of which he shares with Proud Shoko, is to unite the talent in the community and create a platform which will see them working together.

In addition, Nkosi said he has fed so many families through the Five Tiger Foundation, which he and a good friend Dumisani Tshabalala helped formed to bridge the poverty gap.

If this was not enough to keep this community-driven individual occupied, he said he facilitated a recovery study plan prior to the matric exams, to help Grade 12s to catch up on the time lost during the strict Covid-19 lockdown.

“We organised some students from varsities to come out and conduct extra lessons in a bid to prepare them for the year-end exams,” he said.

Now with the final exams under way, Nkosi, who wishes for more graduates to come out of Zandspruit, wished the local class of 2020 the best of luck.

“ We all know that this year was not easy for them – in fact for everyone – but we hope they tripled their study efforts and we hope to see improved results,” he concluded.