Linamandla Deliwe made quite an impact as a student leader at False Bay TVET College and continues to exemplify the ideal qualities of a College alumnus. He completed his first programme in Safety in Society in 2015 and thereafter the National Certificate in Public Management, which he completed in 2017.
He was elected as Student Representative Council President in 2015, his term coinciding with the emergence of the ‘#FeesMustFall’ movement. With a direct line to the Principal’s Office, Linamandla frequently represented the student voice in ongoing engagement and negotiation with the College management and his mature but tenacious approach to solving the problems of the student community won the respect of the College management and students alike.
In his role as SRC President, Linamandla played a significant role in helping the College to navigate the student fee crisis and protests to emerge stronger from the experience.
Linamandla has been working for the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Department since 2018. His responsibilities include the implementation and monitoring of the department’s Work Skills Plan, which enables him to play a role in employees’ skills development and empowerment. Outside of work, Linamandla is quite involved in community development and serves several non-governmental organisations and forums in various capacities. Some of these relationships began when he was still a student at False Bay TVET College.
- Supervisory board member, The Compass Trust;
- Co-founder and director, Sh9keit.com;
- Education sector chairperson, Vrygrond Community Development Forum;
- Chairperson, Social Justice Network;
- Executive member and project coordinator, Muizenberg Community Policing Forum;
- Board member and head of projects, Everlasting Kingdom Christian Church.
Despite these commitments, he still makes time to participate in community initiatives like blanket drives for fire victims and sanitary towel collections for high school learners. Linamandla credits the support he received from False Bay TVET College in his role as the SRC President for his development into a community activist and leader.
“The respect I received from the institution’s leadership made it easy for me to address issues at all levels,” he says.
As an active member of the College alumni fraternity, Linamandla often attends College orientation days on campus, engaging and motivating prospective students about the benefits of studying at False Bay TVET College.
What advice does he have for students joining the SRC today?
“One, if you want to make real changes, you need to be familiar with the legislation and structures that govern the TVET sector. And two, understand the difference between fighting for and representing your student constituency.”
