He fought discrimination to become Junior Mayor

Clementine Phulu, Sunday Life Reporter

BORN different, with a visual and physical challenge, Shepherd Ncube has fought off various forms of discrimination and proved beyond doubt that disability does not mean inability, as he was elected to be the Bulawayo Junior Mayor recently.

Shepherd, a 17-year-old from Northlea High School was recently inaugurated and moved out of his shell after staying in a corner in fear for a long time. The aspiring lawyer believes that in a few years time, he is going to dive into politics.

He conquered all his fears after he stepped into the gates of Northlea High School and when he started venturing into quiz shows and public speaking competitions. And surprisingly he has not let those standing in his corner down. He has excelled to an extent of representing the nation at large in various competitions.

**Northlea pupils cheer others during the speech and prize-giving ceremony**

“I was never really a vocal student or an overachiever in primary school due to discrimination on the basis of my sight. I thought it was best to stay in a corner in fear of embarrassment or just thought I did not fit in because I was disabled. That all came to an end when I realised life was generally not going to be lenient due to a disability. In my first year of high school, I ventured into quiz, spelling bee, and public speaking, and to my surprise, I excelled,” he said.

Deeply rooted in faith attending a charismatic church, guided and guarded by the same values has seen him being who he is today. Despite his disability associated with his eyesight and discrimination from people, Ncube fought all the battles and was recently inducted as the Bulawayo Junior City Council Mayor, head boy at Northlea High School, and even going to an extent of representing Zimbabwe at Orate Africa.

“I believe bigger things are yet to happen this year and throughout my life and the biggest thing that has happened to me so far, I would say was knowing God, being the head boy, the Junior Mayor, and representing Zimbabwe at Orate Africa,” he said.

He said what keeps him going is knowing how dependent people are on him, hence from that he knows failure is not an option. He added that as the newly elected Junior Mayor, he wishes mostly for the eradication of drug abuse and teenage pregnancies.