Congratulations to Cannons Creek Independent School’s Grade 11 learner Amarachi Zondi who was selected to serve on the Junior City Council. Hear it from Amarachi –

From 452 applications to 184 interviews, and finally down to 50 selected individuals, I am truly honoured to have been chosen to represent my school and contribute to bettering the communities of Cape Town.

We have been given a platform to create positive change through an eight-month leadership project, which is our biggest initiative of the year. This journey includes a leadership camp, where we will learn how the City of Cape Town budgets and allocates funds, as well as various talks and excursions throughout the year. We will also have the privilege of meeting the Mayor, politicians, and even the President. I am forever grateful to God for this opportunity and excited for the journey ahead.

The Junior City Council election process began with submitting a written report detailing who we are and the leadership positions we have held, both past and present. Submissions were open throughout December. If your application stood out, you were selected to take an online test consisting of multiple-choice questions and two 500 word essays on integrity and a local community concern that hasn’t been properly addressed.

To progress to the third stage, a minimum score of 80% was required. The third round involved an in-person interviewwith the Custodian, three panel members, and two alumni of the JCC. For this interview, we had to prepare and deliver a 3–6 minute presentation on a given topic. My topic was substance abuse and gang violence among the youth of Cape Town.