Taking the Lead – The Quest for Personal Discovery
They say at school you get the lesson first, then the test. In life, you get the test first — and it teaches you the lesson.
At my school, gangsterism was spreading like wildfire. Teachers and learners lived in constant fear. The worst day came when one of our classmates was gunned down. He died on the scene. To this day, it remains the most tragic incident our school has ever faced.
I asked myself one question: “What do I do?”
That’s when I decided to start a drama group. We used protest theatre to drive a message against gangsterism. Our principal gave us the assembly stage, and the impact was immediate. Learners began to disassociate from gangs. Young people started to hear the different voices that spoke out — and chose to listen.
Taking the lead means calculating the risk of being passive. My courage came from knowing exactly what gangsterism leads to. I could see the ending, and I refused to wait for it.
Leading your peers is not easy. You have to walk the talk. I remember standing in assembly and calling gangsterism what it was: cowardice. I said, _“Anybody who needs a crowd to do something is a coward.”
Did I fear the gangs would attack me? Of course I did. But courage is not the absence of fear. It’s what you do while you’re afraid.
When I see young people today talking about bullying, I ask: _“What are the peer leaders and the Learner Representative Council doing?”
Taking the lead means being uncomfortable with the status quo. Sometimes, it means becoming the difference you want to see.
The test came first. The lesson was this: *Silence is a choice. So is leadership.*
Sicelo Ngubane is a social entrepreneur, an inspirational speaker and a youth activist with interests in leadership and personal development. Has been with Love Life, Sibikwa Arts Centre and the South African Association of Youth Clubs
