Amogelang Mashele, the 15-year-old president of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament, presented the Children20 Declaration to President Cyril Ramaphosa at the G20 Social Summit in November. The document, developed through youth dialogues, outlines demands for a safer and fairer future amid global challenges. Mashele urged governments to act on children's concerns, emphasizing that it is time to dream.
Amogelang Mashele, a 15-year-old from Kuruman in the Northern Cape, led the handover of the Children20 Declaration during the G20 Social Summit in November. As president of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Parliament—a collaboration between Parliament, the Department of Social Development, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, and Save the Children South Africa—she represented the voices of over 20 million children in the nation.
The declaration emerged from a pre-summit in Johannesburg, attended by about 50 young participants from South Africa and neighboring countries including Kenya, Lesotho, Sudan, and Zambia. Hosted by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health with support from the Global Leaders Network, the event focused on key themes mirroring the G20 agenda: digital inclusion, trade resilience and inclusive value chains, climate justice and energy democracy, sustainable finance, and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals toward 2030.
Mashele described the moment as 'a dream come true' and a 'powerful statement of our demands for a safer, fairer and more just future.' She highlighted challenges like poverty, inequality, climate change, and limited access to education and healthcare. 'Our government should listen and not just talk. They should prioritise children's issues, involve us in decision-making and take concrete actions to address our concerns, because it is time to dream now,' she told Daily Maverick.
President Ramaphosa, upon receiving the declaration, reaffirmed South Africa's pledges to combat child hunger, broaden opportunities, and intensify efforts against gender-based violence and femicide.
Dr. Linda Ncube-Nkomo, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, stressed the need to amplify children's voices in policy-making. 'Gone are the days where we used to say children should be seen and not heard,' she said, noting global issues like violence and poverty affect youth everywhere. She advocated for cross-border cooperation on digital safety and stronger community protections to prevent harm, adding that 'prevention is cheaper than trying to solve post an event.'
Mashele, who aspires to become a dermatologist after observing skin-related self-esteem issues, joined the parliament through a provincial debating win. She values the platform for discussing child safety, climate change, substance abuse, sexual education, and participation.