Thabo David Pitso: From Community Service to the Pursuit of Public Office

For this 2016 Activator from Winburg, leadership began with helping young people access opportunities. Now, he hopes to bring the same commitment to local government.

Turn on a tap. Nothing comes out.

For families in Makeleketla, Winburg, in the Free State, water shortages have become more than an inconvenience. They have interrupted the ordinary rhythms of life, from preparing meals and washing clothes to running businesses and caring for children.

Thabo David Pitso, also known as Botoro, remembers living without water for approximately two months. He also remembers the frustration of completing college only to discover how difficult finding employment could be.

Those experiences shaped a question that would eventually define his leadership journey: what can one person do when the community around them is struggling?

Today, Pitso is a 2016 ACTIVATE! Change Driver, co-founder of H.O.P.E. NPO and, according to his account, a confirmed proportional representation (PR) candidate for the Black and White Society (BAWS) in the Masilonyana Local Municipality.

What shaped him

Growing up in Winburg, Pitso saw how limited opportunities could shape the futures of young people.

Unemployment was something he had experienced personally. Poor service delivery was something he lived with. The lack of sporting facilities also troubled him, particularly in a community where young people needed opportunities to develop their talents and interests.

Three people helped shape his thinking.

Sebina Ramaseli introduced him to entrepreneurship and the importance of economic independence. Former ward councillor Maphobole Maphobole influenced his understanding of political representation, while his late mentor, Action Setaka, introduced him to Karl Marx’s ideas about class, power and inequality.

Together, these influences helped him see community development as both practical service and a question of who has access to resources and decision-making.

How community involvement became leadership

In 2018, Pitso joined fellow Activators Sebina Ramaseli and Sipho Sekharume to establish H.O.P.E., short for Helping Others Pursue Excellence. Their intention was to support vulnerable children and young people in Winburg. “ACTIVATE! helped me understand that leadership starts with taking responsibility and working with others to create positive change,” he says.

What followed was a series of initiatives addressing everyday needs, from organising Christmas lunches for children to helping learners access higher education and sharing job opportunities. But the more Pitso became involved, the more he recognised the limitations of community organisations working outside formal decision-making structures. He came to believe that improving people’s circumstances required not only community action but also a voice in the institutions responsible for delivering public services.

That conviction contributed to his decision to pursue a municipal council seat. 

The work

For Pitso, opportunity often begins with access to information.

Since 2020, he has assisted matriculants and unemployed young people with university admissions and National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) applications. He says some of those he supported are now studying, while others have graduated. With assistance from Professor Matshaba of UNISA and Maki Tsoai, he continues helping prospective students navigate their applications.

He also manages WhatsApp groups that circulate employment opportunities, one focused on the Free State and another sharing vacancies nationally. Mqiniso April from Kroonstad is among those supporting this work.

Through H.O.P.E., the team has organised Christmas lunches for vulnerable children and donated sanitary pads to support menstrual dignity. Although the Christmas initiative was interrupted by the COVID-19 lockdown, the organisation subsequently resumed the programme.

These interventions may not solve unemployment or poverty, but they address barriers that can easily determine whether someone accesses an opportunity at all.

Leadership in practice

Pitso believes leadership requires service, continuous learning and practical action.

His experience has taught him that community work is not only about identifying what people lack, but also recognising the resources, knowledge and relationships that can help them move forward. He acknowledges that voluntary initiatives cannot substitute for effective public institutions.

For him, pursuing public office represents an opportunity to contribute to decisions that affect the people he has spent years supporting.

Community priorities and future plans

Pitso identifies unemployment, poor service delivery and limited opportunities for young people as pressing challenges in Winburg.

In January 2026, SABC News reported that residents were struggling with recurring water and electricity interruptions affecting households and local businesses. Further reporting during the year highlighted concerns about the area’s water infrastructure. Against this backdrop, Pitso says his decision to join BAWS was influenced by its stated emphasis on inclusive leadership, accountability and community development.

He hopes to support local businesses, expand youth opportunities and improve how community concerns are represented in municipal decision-making. H.O.P.E. is also planning youth business-skills training to encourage entrepreneurship and economic self-reliance.

These remain ambitions whose success would depend on resources, collaboration and measurable progress.

The contribution he hopes to make

Pitso’s journey is one of a young man who experienced barriers to opportunity and decided to help others navigate them.

From education applications and employment information to community support and political participation, his work reflects a belief that meaningful leadership begins close to home

Whether or not his electoral ambitions are realised, the greater test of his contribution will be the opportunities created, the people supported and the improvements residents can see in their daily lives. For a community that has repeatedly faced the uncertainty of dry taps and limited opportunities, those practical outcomes will matter more than political promises.

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About the Author:

Ramadimetja Kekana is a freelance writer whose work explores social justice, mental health, education and youth development. Through human-centred storytelling and thought-provoking social commentary, she seeks to raise awareness, challenge prevailing narratives and deepen public understanding of the issues shaping people’s lives. Her writing places particular emphasis on amplifying underrepresented voices, examining systemic inequalities and bringing visibility to the experiences and challenges of marginalised communities. She believes in the power of storytelling to encourage critical reflection, meaningful dialogue and social change.