ANT KATZ

The sixteen senior young academics and business leaders who visited Israel and Palestine on an educational tour this month can be divided into three primary groups: Eight ANC and affiliated activists; four student activists; and four young business leaders. They were accompanied by two of SA’s leading young Jews.

Today, for the first time, Jewish Report publishes the names of the 16 rebel future leaders. Not to cause them any embarrassment – they are happy to be named – but to illustrate the calibre of these brave breakaway rebels. Who are they? SEE BELOW, and meet their two hosts as well.

Last week the sixteen became the darlings of the media, bashing BDS’ intimidation at every opportunity. Now, says tour host Dan Brotman, BDS has adopted a seemingly defensive stance and has retaliated by naming the sixteen rebels. That was a moot point as they have never hidden who they were and, in fact, had asked for their names to be made public.

BDS has also denied on social media that it offered to pay the rebels R40 000 each not to go on the trip – but the sixteen say BDS did.

The matter became increasingly acrimonious when Klaas Mokgomole, one of the original so-called “Wits-11” SRC members who were chastised for breaking up an Israeli-born pianist’s concert early last year, published an op-ed entitled “Know how to grow. What is BDS hiding?” in Independent media publications recently.

---

The ANC and affiliated activists:

BONOLO RAMOKHELE, 28, a chartered accountant from Johannesburg. Recognised by the SA Institute of CAs and Investec as one of SA’s top 35 chartered accountants under 35, he serves on the boards of Absa, the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Black Business Council and the African National Congress (ANC), among others. He was made a WEF “Top 30 People Under 30” at Davos and is a Brand SSA ambassador.

NTHABISENG MOLEFE, 24, hails from Qwaqwa in the Free State. She is completing her B Law at Wits and has been active in campus politics from day one. She was chairman of the Wits branch of the ANC-affiliated SA Student Organisation (Sasco) until being suspended for going on this trip. She is secretary of her residence. She hopes to do her articles with the National Prosecuting Authority or Public Protector’s Office once she finishes her LLB.

YOLANDA MAKHASI, 23, of Durban is active in student politics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and plans to run for the 2016 SRC. She sits on the ANCYL branch executive in her local ward and hopes to get her honours degree in history education this year, and apply for a masters’ next year.

JUSTICE NKOMO, 26, lives in Johannesburg and is passionate about politics. He grew up in Mogale City, Krugersdorp. He has been active in the ANC Youth League since the age of 14 and has occupied various leadership positions in its congress movement. He was one of the Wits SRC members – known as the Wits-11 – who were sanctioned by the university in 2014 for disrupting a concert by Israeli-born German pianist Yosi Reshef.

SIPHO MOTSAMAI, 28, from Vanderbijlpark holds a controlling stake in a construction company. A long-time activist he has led Cosas and ANCYL branches at the University of Free State. He is chairman of Youth and Business in Emfuleni District Municipality and secretary of the ANCYL branch in his ward.

SENZEKAHLE MBOKAZI, 22, from Joburg has a love for education and nurturing young children and she is pursuing an Education degree at Wits. She served in leadership structures in high school and now serves as secretary-general of the Wits SRC.

NORMAN MASHEGOANA, 24, from Limpopo, has been involved in Cosatu and the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) since his teens. While completing his BA Education at Wits, Norman served on the branch executive committees of ANCYL and Sasco, was on the SRC and volunteered at the national office of the SA Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU). He is currently the SADTU site steward at his school and on the union’s branch executive committee.

SIHLE NGUSE is political by nature. He presently chairs both an ANCYL and an SA Communist Party branch. He previously chaired a Cosas branch and was an ANCYL zonal secretary. His union activities include being a Saccawu shop steward, a Saaawu regional organiser and a Satawu shop steward. In future he plans to “lead in ANC upper structures. He is a successful businessman.

---

The student activists:

ERNEST KATHUTSHELO HASHA, 24, is a Johannesburg student activist and aspiring entrepreneur. He is doing his BA in Information Management at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), where he served last year as the Student Representative Council (SRC) secretary-general. He runs youth programmes at the American Space: Rosa Parks Library & Innovation Studio, based in Soweto.

KLAAS MASILO MOKGOMOLE, 24, from Johannesburg is another of the “Wits-11” students who has been involved in a number of leadership activities and programmes on campus at Wits. These include the Law Students Council, the Esselen Residence House Committee, the Sports Council and the Wits SRC. Klaas is an avid sportsman who holds both Wits and Gauteng colours.

KABELO MASILO, 25, of Johannesburg is a self-taught camera operator. After financial constraints did not allow him to further his studies, Kabelo started as a general helper in media, quickly took an interest in film and approached the owners for an opportunity to learn more about filmmaking. He is documenting the trip for the benefit of the participants.

LUNGISA NTOBELA, 23, from Cape Town is doing his final year B Com in accounting at UCT, after which he plans to do his LLB. He served as residence coordinator on the SRC and was head student of Leo Marquard Hall, UCT’s largest residence. He is a co-founder of BLVCK, an independent political transformation organisation. He served on many UCT committees, such as finance, undergraduate funding, residence council and building and development.

---

The business transformers:

MATSI MODISE, 30, lives in Johannesdburg. She is a director at the SA Black Entrepreneurs Forum and a WEF founding curator in Soweto. She was acknowledged by Prof Klaus Schwab (WEF founder), for her contribution. She was Young Achiever of the Year at the Women in Leadership – Africa Summit, and represented SA at the AU’s 50th Jubilee in Ethiopia and at the Pan-African Youth Summit in Rwanda this year.

NAZREEN PANDOR, 33 hails from Johannesburg and is an admitted attorney. A niece of Minister Naledi Pandor, Nazreen left the corporate work of a forensic lawyer and director of a leading auditing firm, to start her own consulting business. She chairs the Youth Employment Index and sits on a number of public sector boards, including UJ and the National Youth Development Agency. She was a Forbes Women Africa winner, among M&G’s “Top 200 Young South Africans” and described in Destiny as “The Woman to Watch”.

THUSO SEGOPOLO, 31, hails from Cape Town. While studying for his two B Tech degrees, he managed the Microsoft Innovation Centre, where he was recognised among the top Microsoft managers in Africa. He is a senior technology manager at Old Mutual, a non-exeutive director of the Black Management Forum (BMF), national chairman of BMF Young Professionals, a Global Shaper of the WEF, and council member (and chairman of finance) of the Performing Arts Centre of the Free State.

WELAKHE MABUNGA, 29, of Durban is an aspiring entrepreneur who regards himself as a scholar for life. He studied for his B Com in supply chain, marketing and management at UKZN where he also did his honours in management.

---

The hosts:

DAN BROTMAN, 28. Is the executive director of the SA-Israel Forum (SAIF).

He hails from Boston in the US and is based in hannesburg. He was previously the head of media and public affairs at the Cape Council of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies.

RIGHT: Dan Brotman

SAIF was founded by members of the SA Jewish community in 2008 with a view to take SA business, political and civil society leaders to Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Together with Investec,

Dan also co-founded YoungTreps, a programme that takes hundreds of SA, UK and Australia’s most promising young entrepreneurs, to Israel.

NATAN POLLACK, 22, lives in Johannesburg and is the national chairman of the SA Union of Jewish Students (SAUJS).

Natan plays a fundamental role in helping Jewish students build bridges with the broader SA society, has visited Israel on numerous occasions and engages deeply in the Israel-Palestine issue.

LEFT: SAUJS national chairman, Natan Pollack co-hosted the trip with Dan Brotman

 
Pollack completed his B Com (tax, managerial accounts andfFinance) at Wits and is currently studying towards an honours in investment management at UJ.

SEE LINKS TO THE BACK-STORY ON SAJR – CLICK HERE