Zululander is one of President Obama’s young African leaders
Zibu Mthiyane will meet President Obama today.
RISING Zululand trailblazer Zibu Mthiyane is making waves overseas as the chosen Mandela Washington Fellow for US President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).
The 34-year-old will meet President Obama today (Friday) while she is in Washington DC, gaining valuable skills and forging strong connections with influential political players.
Mthiyane, originally from Richards Bay, last year obtained her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) and has since become the CEO of Zoluhle Polymerics – a company specialising in the design and manufacturing of synthetic steel products.
According to the YALI website, the programme is a signature effort to support young African leaders as they ‘spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance and enhance peace and security across Africa’.
It brings 500 dynamic individuals to the US for six weeks of leadership training and mentoring at 20 US universities and colleges, with courses covering entrepreneurship, civic engagement and public administration.
Working for change
‘I feel a great sense of accomplishment and a confirmation that my dreams are valid and deserve pursuit,’ said Mthiyane.
‘To be selected as a Nelson Mandela Washington Fellow is a huge honour and to be recognised as a future leader of my country is overwhelming.’
She will participate in the public management category, which is in line with her passion for community development.
‘I hope to learn how we can translate public policy into instruments of change, and to make it more accessible to women and girls in a way that changes their reality.
‘I dream of models that support and sustain rural economies.
‘My future is going to be spent in pursuit of that dream, starting with assisting government in accelerating access to water and electricity in rural areas.’
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