Councillor pledges to lead by example after women’s empowerment academy

MANGWE Rural District Council proportional representation Councillor, Simphiwe Vuyelwa Mguni, has vowed to be an exemplary leader as she carries out her duties.
Her commitment follows her participation in the Southern Africa Young Women’s Empowerment Academy, recently held in Lilongwe, Malawi.
The academy was organised by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) in collaboration with UN Women, under the framework of the European Union (EU)-funded Women and Youth Democratic Engagement (WYDE) Women’s Leadership Initiative. This initiative is implemented in partnership with UN Women, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) under the overall coordination of UN Women.
The programme brought together 30 participants from Malawi, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Zambia, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe, including prominent young leaders.
Notable attendees included Zambia’s youngest Member of Parliament, Hon. Jean Ng’andwe Chisenga, former South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) Central Committee Member and National Youth Council of Namibia Board Member Ndahafa Hapulile, South African National Youth Council shortlisted nominee Thembisile Mahuwa, and Zimbabwe’s Citizens against Economic Sanctions National Secretary for Information and Publicity, Clr Simphiwe Vuyelwa Mguni.
Participants engaged in training modules covering gender social norms in political leadership, digital technologies and intersectionality, media engagement for women’s empowerment, and principles of inclusive democracy. They received certificates after presenting their personal development plans.
Clr Mguni expressed gratitude for the opportunity, saying the experience had deepened her understanding of effective leadership as a young woman in politics.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to learn and develop myself, my brand, and my vision through such an important platform. I now have a deeper understanding of how to conduct myself as a public servant and be as effective as possible as a young woman in politics.
“To the sponsors, I am grateful. To the facilitators and organisers, I appreciate the hard work you put into the academy. To my fellow participants, I hope this is only the beginning of a journey we will walk together as young women in leadership. May we continue to share ideas, tackle challenges, and be a source of strength for one another,” she said.
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