User:Khanyiso Mzelem

Nono Mzelem (born Ntingnono Leah Mtshali; 15 September 1944) also known as Leah Mzelem, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and Teacher. She served as a teacher from 1965 to 2002, until she retired in 2000. A member of the African National Congress (ANC) political party, she served as a local Municipal Council in the community of Moutse West In Limpopo

Early Life
Nono Leah was a 5th born of the nine daughters of Alfred Mhlekwa Mtshali Bukhosini the Father from KwaZulu-Natal and Harriet Ngqekazi Mbabo mother from Kwaguqa in Witbank. Her parents were not educated but they tried very hard to make ends meet for their family, father worked as a messenger at Anglovaal and our mother was a domestic worker. They stayed in Sophia town until in 1955 when they were forcefully removed to Soweto to live in shacks in White city Jabavu. They later learned of the demolishment of our school, ST. Cyprian and the only Anglican church headed by the father Huddleson.

Proffesional and Political Career
Having passed Junior certificate in Musi High school in Pimville, she was enrolled at Hebron college of education for the higher primary teacher's certificate. Completing it in 1964. she started teaching in 1965 at a primary school in Pimville. A year after at the age of 22 years, she got married to Daniel Mnukwa Mzelem. She taught at Jabulani Technical High school in middle 1977 and left for Mamaneng in Limpopo due to heavy riots in soweto. Most of her time was spend on black woman empowerment in the rural areas teaching them skills like dressmaking and cooking. She taught at different schools even at KwaNdebele College of education after obtaining her BAED Degree from Vista University Mamelodi campus in 1989. later she obtained her BED degree at Turfloop University in 1993. Shew was among the first Councillors for ANC in 1995 in the Moutse West Cuircuit, she served until she retired in 2002.

Present Day
She is now a grandmother to nine grandchildren and one great grandson, four of her six children were born in marriage passed. Presently only 2 girls remain.