Latest news with #YoungMandela
News24
18-07-2025
- Business
- News24
Meet Thabo Mngomezulu, a former musician converting waste to energy
A former session musician turned clean energy entrepreneur, Thabo Mngomezulu, is transforming his rural community through innovative waste-to-energy solutions. His groundbreaking work has earned him recognition as a News24 Young Mandela for 2025 in the Climate, Literacy and Sustainability category. As CEO and founder of Kasi Gas, Mngomezulu converts organic waste into affordable biogas for cooking and heating while producing nutrient-rich organic fertiliser for local farmers. What began as a personal pivot during the Covid-19 lockdown has evolved into a comprehensive solution that addresses environmental challenges and energy poverty. 'I lost my income because I've been a session musician for a decade,' Mngomezulu told News24. 'So I wanted to lean towards something more sustainable, that would not only serve me, but also serve the communities I come from.' This crisis became a catalyst for transformation. Rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere, Mngomezulu deliberately returned to his roots in Mpumalanga. 'I left my community here in Fernie to go and stay in Johannesburg, but I'm back because I know that I have to be the person who drives the change,' he says. 'So I want to be a pioneer for change.' Mngomezulu's innovative approach addresses multiple interconnected challenges facing his community. In an area without formal waste management services, Kasi Gas diverts organic waste from illegal dumping sites and processes it into biogas. The system's byproduct—quality organic fertiliser—serves small-scale crop farmers and households engaged in subsistence farming. 'Because they've been monocropping (growing a single crop on the same land year after year) for a very long time and using chemical fertilisers, their soil is degraded, but my bio-fertiliser helps to revitalise that soil, while the biogas provides a clean and affordable source of energy for cooking and heating,' Mngomezulu says. The impact extends beyond energy and agriculture. Kasi Gas has become an educational platform that raises awareness about waste as a valuable resource rather than a burden. 'People did not know that waste is a resource you can use to generate income,' he notes. The initiative teaches community members to save plastic and paper waste for sale, creating additional income streams. Mngomezulu's work also introduces sustainable farming practices to a community dependent on chemical inputs. 'We are introducing organic farming to them, which is more sustainable,' he says, describing how the project exposes farmers to different planting methods that work harmoniously with the environment. His comprehensive approach embodies Nelson Mandela's spirit: bringing people together for collective progress while addressing systemic inequalities. 'My hopes for the future are to stimulate economic activity in low-income areas because I have firsthand [experience] growing up in one, and I know the disadvantages that we face, and it's almost as if people do not care about rural communities,' he says. The Mandela connection runs deeper than circumstance. 'When I think of Mandela, I think of freedom and all the odds against him, but he still prevailed. And so for me, that means resilience,' Mngomezulu says. Speaking about his Young Mandela recognition, Mngomezulu sees it as validation of his community-centred approach. His work proves that meaningful change often begins with people willing to return home, roll up their sleeves, and pioneer solutions that serve both people and planet. Through Kasi Gas, Mngomezulu demonstrates that environmental sustainability and economic empowerment are not competing priorities but complementary solutions.
News24
16-05-2025
- Health
- News24
Candice Chirwa talks period power, policy and progress
Candice Chirwa is a South African speaker and activist advocating for menstrual health. She is News 24's 2024 Young Mandela in the Humanitarianism category. Her close friend gave her the nickname 'Minister of Menstruation' after noticing how passionate she was. ____________________________________________________ At just 10 years old, Candice Chirwa - now a renowned South African speaker, author, academic, and activist - first showed signs of the passion that would shape her purpose. Dubbed the 'Minister of Menstruation' by a friend who was moved by her fierce commitment to menstrual health, the nickname struck. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Minister of Menstruation™️🩸 (@candice_chirwa) Over time, the meaning deepened for Candice: 'For me, being the 'Minister of Menstruation' is about normalising conversations around periods, breaking the stigma, and advocating for dignity and access especially in communities that are often overlooked.' While playing these different roles in academia and public speaking has never been easy, Candice notes how they all feed into each other. 'I've always believed that research shouldn't just sit on a library shelf. What's the point of knowledge if it doesn't reach people who can use it? My academic work gives my activism depth, it allows me to trace patterns, ask harder questions and back up my advocacy with evidence. At the same time, my public work, whether it's writing, speaking or doing workshops, keeps me grounded in the realities people face every day,' she shares. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Minister of Menstruation™️🩸 (@candice_chirwa) Inside Flo: The book about menstruation Behind the book she co-authored with Karen Jeynes, Pontsho Pilane and Claire Fourie lies a powerful purpose: addressing the urgent need for menstrual health education. Candice highlights how harmful beliefs like the notion that periods are impure remain deeply embedded in many South African communities. Myths such as tampons affecting virginity continue to persist, revealing just how much work needs to be done. 'I've had so many teenagers ask me in hushed voices whether they're still 'pure' after using a tampon. It breaks my heart that something as empowering as menstrual choice becomes a source of anxiety. And of course, the myth that menstruation is just a 'women's issue' is still alive and well.' They wanted young people to have easy access to medically accurate, reliable information but also to real stories from real menstruators. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Minister of Menstruation™️🩸 (@candice_chirwa) From topics ranging from endometriosis to period sex and how mental health intersects with the menstrual cycle, they wanted overly clinical conversations to be connected to lived experiences. Even with Menstruation Station, her latest comic book for kids aged eight years and older, it is more playful and visually engaging way to start the conversation earlier. The heart of what she does More than anything, Candice wants periods to be a conversation for all: 'It's not just about hygiene, it's about justice. My feminism shows up in how I advocate, who I centre and how I challenge systems that keep menstruators silent or invisible.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by QRATE (@qrate_sa) It's important that we treat menstrual health as a normal part of everyday life, not as something shameful, awkward or taboo. She wishes someone spoke to the younger version of her in a normal, comfortable and kind way. 'I also want to see menstrual health education expanded in Life Orientation, not just as a brief biology lesson but as a comprehensive, age-appropriate and inclusive conversation that involves all learners, regardless of gender. Including boys and non-menstruating individuals in these discussions is crucial if we're serious about dismantling stigma and creating more empathetic, informed communities.' Show Comments ()
