Xaba Builds Youth Participation And Accountability in Harding Ward 07

Siphele Xaba is a 2026 activator from KwaZulu-Natal, based in Harding Ward 07 within the uMuziwabantu Local Municipality. He is contesting in the upcoming local elections under the African National Congress (ANC), with hopes of serving as the Letsema Head.

The Letsema campaign is an ANC outreach initiative and community-mobilisation initiative that aims to address local service delivery issues, strengthen connections with residents, and reconnect with voters.  

Xaba’s decision to contest in the local elections was motivated by his love for the people of Ward 07 and the vision that his political party has to build a better life for all. He has also been recognised as being trustworthy by community members and that has given him confidence that he can lead and represent them.

His commitment to youth development stretches back to 2013, when he established and led the Harding Youth Society. He now understands governance, as he has served in the school governing body (SGB) of two different schools for many terms as the chairperson. These experiences have prepared him to serve with discipline and accountability.

According to Xaba, accountability means reporting back to all affected parties and being transparent. Drawing from his experience as an SGB chairperson for two schools, accountability means reporting back to parents, learners and the community, managing public resources honestly, and taking responsibility for decisions.

For his political party, transparency means open governance, where people know how budgets are spent, and decisions are taken with the community, not behind closed doors.

Xaba believes many young people feel disconnected from local government because they are often ignored, communication does not reach them, and youth opportunities that allow them to participate in the economy are limited. His response to this problem started in 2013 when he formed Harding Youth Society to bridge the gap by empowering young people, uplifting communities and addressing socio-economic issues.

He believes local government is an important space for young people to participate in local government as it is the coalface of service delivery. It is where water, electricity, roads, and jobs are decided. If young people are absent, then their futures are decided without them. His political party has always taught young people that they are the future, and local government is where that future is shaped.

According to Xaba, some of the biggest challenges currently facing the residents of Ward 07 in Harding include:

1. High unemployment and lack of post-matric opportunities
2. Water shortages and poor maintenance of rural roads
3. Limited economic opportunities for women and young people in agriculture
4. A need for improved access to RDP housing and youth development centres.

If selected to serve as Letsema Head, Xaba has identified his three main priorities as:

1. Elections Mobilisation: Ensure every homestead in Mkhoba and Ward 07 is visited; all voters are registered and ready for ANC victory.
2. Youth and Community Engagement: Use his experience from Harding Youth Society to bring young people back to his political party through skills programmes and volunteerism.
3. Serve delivery feedback loop: Use his SBG governance experience to strengthen accountability between the community and their ANC councillors.

In the next upcoming elections, Xaba hopes to see the victory of his political party, high voter turnout especially among young people and a clean, disciplined Letsema campaign that reconnects his political party with every household in Harding.

From Xaba’s story, we can draw a conclusion that being present, listening to residents and creating opportunities to address issues affecting community members is crucial to being trusted as a community leader.

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About the author:

Londiwe Mnguni is an activated young person passionate about community development and social change, with a deep commitment to contributing meaningfully to initiatives that empower and uplift communities.