Q AND A WITH SERVICE DELIVERY PARTY MEMBER HLOHI MALEMA

Service Delivery Party (SDP) member Hlohi Malema

1.Where were you born and which primary schools and high school did you attend?

Born in Lady Selborne. Went to Madidi Primary School (in Madidi) and Phuthanang Primary School ( in Soshanguve) . Went to Walmansthal High School (in Soshanguve)

2.How would you describe your upbringing?

Loving but strict in a good way. I am still standing. All thanks to my late parents’ guidance.

3.What are your academic qualifications?

Accounting, Strategic Management, and Fraud Investigation

4.What community projects are you involved in at the moment?

There’s a lot in my basket at the moment. However, the following are of importance to me and the community I serve –

1. SAFETY &SECURITY & STREETLIGHTS: DOING IT OURSELVES*

-No Visible Policing: Convened a community consultation meeting with a local registered security company in July 2026. The community is now at an advanced stage to contract the security company ourselves.

-Non-Functioning Streetlights: Wrote and submitted a petition to City of Tshwane in Oct 2025 – Petition No. 400 for the non-functioning high mast lights and streetlights.

-Feb 2026: Appeared before the Petitions Committee. To date, no positive outcome from the City.

-Community Action: Encouraged residents to pool money together for streetlights. More streets in Soshanguve are lighting up through community participation without the help of the municipality.

2. SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUTH AND 35+*

-Currently in talks with a local Skills Development Centre to empower Soshanguve residents.

-Focus: Sewing training and establishing cooperatives so people can become self-reliant and create income.

3.LEGAL AID FOR POOR AND VULNERABLE RESIDENTS STAYING IN LATE ESTATE HOUSES

Too many children, the poor and vulnerable, living in late estate houses are without electricity because they can’t afford to pay municipal rates or apply for the indigent program (POP) due to lack of Letters of Authority.

-Engaged the TUT Legal Aid Clinic for assistance.

Awaiting for them to provide a date for an outreach programme in Soshanguve to assist these families for free.

5.Why are you passionate about the development of your community?

I’m passionate about community development because I’ve seen how political failure breaks people’s faith. When top-down government systems fail us, waiting becomes a waste of time.

So I chose action. I chose self-reliance. I chose grassroots work where we can see results now — lights on, streets safer, families helped — without begging unreliable leaders for permission.

I do this to protect our gogos, neighbours, and children, to restore the dignity of our people, and to build a Soshanguve that our children can be proud of.

6.Can one say you are also involved in politics? Please explain.

Activism and politics can not be separated. You can’t fight for streetlights, safety, jobs, or dignity without dealing with the people who control government (all levels) budgets and resource distribution.

That’s why I’ve joined the Service Delivery Party (SDP).

SDP is not about ruling, it’s about serving. We are a community-first party.

Our job is to take power back to the people, demand accountability from the government, and make sure budgets actually deliver water, lights, jobs, and safety in our wards, not in fancy tenders.

I am doing this work as the SDP Regional Coordinator for Region 1 in the City of Tshwane and as the SDP Ward Coordinator for Ward 34 in Soshanguve.

I’m still a community activist first. The only difference is I’m now taking our fight directly to the tables where decisions about Soshanguve are made.

We are done waiting. We are here to serve.

7.What are your principles in life? What is it you believe in?

Total transparency and honesty, radical inclusion, fearless nonviolent action, and personal integrity.

I believe in respect and treating all people equally, irrespective of their standing in society.

8.Are you satisfied about the education system in South Africa from preschool right until high school or do you believe the government must make some changes?

Not satisfied at all. If African languages mattered so much in South Africa, why not teach all subjects in the African language of choice by an African parent.

Change the 30% pass mark for Gr12 to 50%

9.Which awards have you won in your career as a nation-builder?

The Dr Marcia Matala Foundation Community Builder of the Year Award in the Service Delivery Category on 14 February 2026

10.What can the government do to make life better for South African women?

Stop the lip service and good on paper GBV policies. A well trained police service to deal with GBV cases. More shelters for GBV victims.

Publish the Sex Offenders Register

The judiciary must treat child maintenance cases as a priority. Better trained child maintenance officers. Improve on the turnaround time of dealing with maintenance cases. The current system penalises children contrary to the Child Maintenance Act.

Blacklist Child maintenance defaulters.

11.What is your advice to young women out there who have hopes of being successful in life?

You can not climb to the top by cutting the ladder out from under others.

Normalise fixing other women’s crowns. Empathy and respect will take you places.