“The world will not change itself – it needs young people to take charge,” says Neville Munashe Mupita Deputy President of UP’s SRC. We learn more about him and how he is making an impact.

Deputy President of the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Student Representative Council (SRC) Neville Munashe Mupita tells us why being in a leadership role is a natural inclination for him and offers his thoughts on the significance of Youth Month.

Tell us about yourself.

I am from Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, where I spent most of my childhood before coming to South Africa as a teenager. I completed matric in 2016 at Heartwood Independent School in Johannesburg. I hold a degree in BA Law (cum laude) and am in my final year of an LLB degree.

What was your plan after completing high school?

I always knew that I wanted to study at UP. When I was in Grade 11, a teacher asked me if I had applied to university and I confidently told her how I had been conditionally accepted at UP, which was a lie, but I had to dream big – that dream eventually became my reality.

When I actually applied to UP, I was anxious as I’d spread the word that I had been accepted. I applied to study law, which has always been my dream; getting to study law at UP is a solid foundation. Funnily enough, everyone around me always said I should be a lawyer as I am very talkative and I like arguing.

How did you come to be in a leadership position at UP?

I was a senior prefect at high school; however, the leadership style at high school is more about representing the school and less about the learners. By the time I got to UP, I had a bit of knowledge about leadership. In my second year, I joined the African Union Student Commission, a student-run organisation dedicated to building awareness and greater understanding of the African Union at the University. By the end of my second year, I was appointed President of the organisation.

By then, I had been exposed to the many challenges that students face, and decided to be part of a faculty house (House Humanities) as I felt I would be in a better position to make a difference. My concern was that I was helping only a certain group of students – those in the Humanities Faculty – and that was not enough for me. I wanted to be able to meet a student anywhere and be able to assist – that is why I became part of the SRC.

One of the other reasons I got into leadership is representation. I am an international student and I felt the need to be there to represent international students and be their voice.

What does the future look like for you?

I’d like to complete my LLB degree. In 2022, I was an intern at UP’s Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender, which exposed me to a lot of issues. My ambition is to be involved in human rights law; specifically, I’d like to focus on advocating for people with disabilities, because as much as laws are continuously being made and amended to protect human rights, disability rights remain stagnant. I would like to take part in correcting that.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Someone once told me that you cannot pour from an empty cup. Being in the SRC is quite a challenge: you sit and  listen to students from different walks of life tell you about their challenges, and sometimes you can do nothing but listen. It weighs on you, so I believe in recharging, because when my cup is full, I am able to approach the day with courage and help students to the best of my ability. Not only is the advice applicable to school or work life, but all aspects of life.

What does Youth Month mean to you?

It is a clear, tangible representation of the power and potential of young people. Youth Day is the realisation of a vision and a dream fought for by thousands of South African youths. It is a celebration of youth, power and unity, and how we as young people can make an impact on the world if we put our minds to it.

What is your favourite quote?

“The most wasted of days is one without laughter.”

Is there a piece of advice that you have for youth?

I think Zozibini Tunzi’s speech for Miss SA sums up my sentiments – that young people should take up space and cement themselves. The world will not change itself – it needs young people to take charge. We are here today in these institutions of higher learning because young people in 1976 demanded change. With that being said, I urge all young people to participate in voting, be it for policy change or for governmental elections. It is very important – your vote matters.

Favourites:

Music: Afro beats
Food: Sadza (Shona for pap) and steak
Artist: Jah Prayzah