By Jonk wa Mashamba
news@alexreporter.co.za
“I urge the community in Ward 107 to vote for EFF. Because VET has always been on their side during evictions, housing disputes , GBV cases, service delivery challenges and the restoration of their dignity,” says Dipolelo Geostinah Mokoena.
Dipolelo is a ward 107 EFF councillor candidate and resident.
The energetic woman who is widely known for her unwavering dedication to her people told Alex Reporter that she has been working with the community of 107 since she joined the EFF.
“As the EFF, we are very successful at solving the problems of electricity and sewage blockage. When we are in power we will improve the response time on delivering the services to our community,” she says.
The 46-year-old from Limpopo, in Dennilton Kgobokoane Village, is not new to politics and her experience says a lot!
She has been in politics since 2002 when she was in the opposition party as a member of the youth league in Ward 75.
“I joined because my mom was also a member. In 2012, I served as a member of the Helen Joseph residents’ committee. I was a member of the ANC until the formation of the EFF in 2013. And I became a supporter of EFF, and in 2014 I became a member in good standing.”
It was then that she began to be active in the activities of the community of Alexandra under the leadership of fighter Moshe Mphahlele as the chairman of the branch till to date.
Her tireless work led to her becoming a member of the Evelyn Chiloane (107) EFF Branch Command Team as an additional member.
Between 2015 and 2016, she was elected Branch Treasurer as a result of a Branch General Meeting (BGA).
“At the 2019 BGA, I was reelected treasurer and delegate to the 2nd National People’s Assembly (NPA).
“The BGA of 2021 was the year in which I was elected as the branch Secretary. After this I was a delegate to the 3rd (RPA) Regional People’s Assembly, followed by being the Councillor candidate.”
She completed school in 1995 at Ramatsagalala High School before coming to Johannesburg in 1998 where she stayed with her mother at Helen Joseph (Woman’s Hostel).
Dipolelo and the books are not adversaries!
She did a one year secretarial course at Academy of Learning at Orange Groove.
In 2007 she volunteered at the Alexandra Fire Station at BESAFE CENTER PIER DEVISION for Community Liaison Officer where she dealt with awareness of shack fire until 2008.
“In 2009, I was hired by the EPWP in the City of Johannesburg under Desaster Management.”
She was taken by the City to train at Fire Fighter 1 and Hazmat Awareness where she obtained a registered certificate with SAESI.
“Because I performed well in the training, in 2010 I was called by LO TANTSI FIRE TRAINING to do Fire Fighter 2 and Hazmat Operations and I obtained the certificate registered with Saesi.”
In 2011, LO TANTSI took her to Potchefstroom for an instructor course in Fore (1041) where she got a registered certificate from Saesi.
In October 2011, she went from BESAFE CENTER to Operation, which is a fire department, to volunteer because she had all the skills.
To date, she continues to volunteer at the Alex Fire Station.
However, she has been at the forefront of the struggle for residents’ rights and being a leader is her calling.
