There are moments in life when you realize that your journey has never really been about you.
Every challenge, every victory, every lesson, and every opportunity has been preparing you for something greater. For me, that realization came when I returned home to Ndofela Village in Ward 1 of the Senqu Municipality and saw the hope in the eyes of people who had long felt forgotten.
For years, I have dedicated my life to serving others. I have worked alongside women fighting for dignity and justice. I have stood with young people seeking opportunities and a voice in society.
I have advocated for vulnerable communities, founded initiatives aimed at empowering those often left behind, and represented the interests of women and youth in local, national, regional, and international spaces. My work has always been guided by one simple belief: leadership is not about power; it is about service.
Today, I am proud to announce that I am standing as a candidate for Ward 1 under the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). This decision is not the result of political ambition. It is the result of a deep conviction that if we want to see change in our communities, we must be willing to step into the spaces where decisions are made.
One of the most important lessons I have learned throughout my leadership journey is that politics should never be about fashion, popularity, or convenience. Politics must be about values. It must be about principles. It must be about service.
If you choose to join a political organisation, it should be because its policy positions and vision align with your own values and your hopes for society. The Inkatha Freedom Party's commitment to accountability, ethical leadership, community development, and service resonates deeply with my own beliefs. That is why I have chosen to stand under its banner.
The Eastern Cape remains one of the most impoverished provinces in South Africa. Too many families continue to struggle with poverty, unemployment, inadequate services, and limited opportunities. Too many young people leave home in search of work. Too many women carry the burden of sustaining families under difficult circumstances. Too many communities have become accustomed to promises that are never fulfilled.
Yet, despite these realities, something extraordinary is happening in Ward 1.
Hope is returning.
Since announcing my intention to stand for election, there has been a constant flow of people coming in and out of my home. Young people arrive eager to volunteer. Mothers come to share their concerns and ideas. Elders offer their wisdom and encouragement. Community members who had long withdrawn from politics are once again discussing the future with excitement.
What moves me most are the conversations I have had with people who tell me they had given up. Some have said they never intended to vote again. Others have told me that they have never voted before because they believed their vote would make no difference.
Yet today, many of those same people are preparing to register and participate for the very first time.
One elderly resident shared words that I will carry with me forever. They said that for years they felt as though God had forgotten about their community. Seeing one of their own return home to stand for election gave them hope that perhaps their prayers had not been forgotten after all.
Those words remind me that this campaign is about something much bigger than politics.
It is about restoring belief.
It is about restoring dignity.
It is about reminding people that they matter.
My commitment to public service is also grounded in academic preparation. I have completed a Higher Certificate in Local Governance, equipping me with knowledge of local government systems, public participation, governance processes, and community development. Combined with years of grassroots activism, this experience has allowed me to bridge the gap between policy and the lived realities of ordinary people.
I am a writer, an advocate, a community leader, and a recipient of a Youth Leadership Award in recognition of my contribution to gender equality, leadership and community development. Through these roles, I have had the privilege of working alongside remarkable women, young people, community leaders, and organisations across South Africa and beyond.
Yet despite all these achievements, there is no title that means more to me than being a daughter of Ndofela.
Everything I have achieved has been shaped by the people who raised me, supported me, challenged me, and believed in me long before anyone else did. My story belongs to the women who taught me resilience, the elders who taught me wisdom, and the young people who inspire me to continue dreaming of a better future.
This is why I believe so strongly in women occupying positions of leadership and power. Women have always carried communities through difficult times. Women have fed families when resources were scarce.
Women have built organisations, cared for children, supported neighbours, and held communities together. Yet women remain underrepresented in many spaces where decisions are made.
That must change.
I know that entering politics as a young woman comes with challenges. Politics remains a space where women often have to work harder for recognition, resources, and support. While the enthusiasm on the ground has been overwhelming, successful campaigns require resources to reach voters, organise community engagements, produce campaign materials, and ensure that every voice is heard.
To secure an outright majority in Ward 1, we need approximately 2,000 votes. Every conversation matters. Every volunteer matters. Every supporter matters. Every contribution matters.
That is why I am reaching out to women, friends, colleagues, partners, allies, and supporters who have walked this journey with me over the years. If you have ever believed in my work, partnered with me, been inspired by my advocacy, or shared my vision for a more just and inclusive society, I invite you to support this campaign.
I am asking you to invest in hope.
I am asking you to invest in women's leadership.
I am asking you to invest in a future where rural communities are no longer left behind.
Whether your contribution is large or small, it will help us build a movement rooted in service, accountability, and community-driven change. It will help us demonstrate that women can lead, that young people can govern, and that communities can shape their own future.
This campaign belongs to all of us.
It belongs to those who never stopped believing.
It belongs to those who are learning to believe again.
And it belongs to the next generation who deserve to inherit communities filled with opportunity, dignity, and hope.
I am coming home not because I have all the answers, but because I am prepared to listen, to learn, and to work alongside my community. I am coming home because I believe that together we can build something better. I am coming home because I believe that leadership should be rooted in service. Most importantly, I am coming home because I believe that hope, when nurtured and organized, can become a powerful force for change.
The people of Ward 1 have already shown me what is possible when a community chooses hope over despair. Now, together, we must turn that hope into action.
And together, we will win.
Doante via PayPal using the email: khobenizintle@gmail.com
You can also deposit your donations to the following bank account
Account holder: Zintle Khobeni
Branch Code: 25065
Bank account number: 63110168233
SWIFT number: FIRNZAJJ
In service and solidarity,
Zintle Khobeni Ka Pheza
IFP Candidate for Ward 1
Senqu Municipality, Eastern Cape
