Listening to the silent majority

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[7]

Another South African who intrigued me was Tom Boya (38), President and founding member of the United Municipalities of South Africa, UMSA.^4. Ten years older than Patose, he too was a radical as a younger man. In his early twenties he founded a youth club in the township of Daveyton. Youth clubs seem to be very popular in townships. Journalist Sam Mabe has written about this phenomenon. He described a club in Tshiawelo, he visited, as ‘an exciting team’. They asked Sam what they could do to contribute to the struggle for liberation. ‘I told them,’ he wrote, ‘that nation-building was about developing people. They should see their club as an institution of learning, where they should develop themselves mentally, physically and otherwise.’ He continued, ‘Everything people do when they are in a group or organisation should be geared towards developing them by increasing their knowledge on all matters affecting their day-to-day lives as residents, workers, citizens or non-citizens... You need to know why you exist and what you wish to accomplish... Allowing youths to address their own problems can be fun and educational for them - it can inspire self-confidence and positive self-esteem.’^5.

Tom Boya discovered the importance of the proper structuring of thought-process and the psychological advantage of training youths in the early seventies and acted upon his discovery at once. I asked him whether members of his youth club had carried arms, as Winnie Mandela's notorious football-team had. ‘No, no,’ replied Tom, ‘in those days we were not carrying guns. Our club was supported by the Anglican Church. I even sang as an altar-boy under Bishop Desmond Tutu. At 15, I myself was a vociferous critic of the then town councils, which were mere advisory bodies at the time. But in 1978, the government announced it was setting up community councils. We managed to find out the contents of the Bill that was being proposed. It became clear that the government intended to grant at least some powers to local black government.’

‘At that moment,’ said Tom Boya, ‘we as youth-club members de-

4. The list of Boya's official functions in South African society is so impressive, I add it here as annex 1

5. The Sowetan, April 26, 1989

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Curriculum Vitae - Mr Tom Boya

1.	President & Founder of United Municipalities of SA (UMSA).
2.	Former Mayor of Daveyton Town Council for 9 terms.
3.	Advisor to the World Conference of Mayors (Washington-DC).
4.	Member of Board of Trustees at St Anthony's Educational Centre.
5.	Member of the Dinoto Technical College.
6.	Ex-Exec Member of the ER Regional Services Council.
7.	Member of Governing Council of Daveyton Teacher's Training College.
8.	Member of National Population Development Programme.
9.	Member of Governing Council of N Transvaal Technikon.
10.	Member of Governing Council of Ulwazi High School.
11.	Member of Governing Council of Daveyton Adult Centre.
12.	Helped establish Daveyton's 3 suburbs; Boya's View, Swazi Area and Turton Extension.
13.	Helped build 2 creches in Daveyton.
14.	Sales Rep for African Life, Germiston 1981-1982.
15.	Sales Rep for Ellerines, Benoni 1970-1981.
16.	Clerk, Troy Textiles, Benoni 1968-1970.
17.	Member of Usizo Lwethu Mental Centre.
18.	Governor of Development Bank of South Africa.
19.	Travelled extensively abroad on Housing studies, met important Politicians world wide.
20.	Found funds for erecting Swimming Pool & Health Centre.

Marital Status: Married

Children: 4

cided to also nominate a candidate. He was to enter the elections as an independent. Whether fortunately or unfortunately, I was chosen. I won my first election. Soon word got around that new blood had entered the decision-making processes in Daveyton.’ Boya was 28 at the time, about the age Jabulani Patose is now. Tom was turning the status

[p. 9]

quo in Daveyton upside down. He must have been the youngest mayor in South Africa. The success story of another independent-thinking and -operating young man had begun. I was grateful to also have discovered him.