Telling my story

Thabo Ishmael Choledi

by Thabo Choledi

My name is Thabo, and I live in the Free State province of South Africa. There’s a town where diamonds played a significant role in Queen Elizabeth II’s monarchy, as it was the site of the discovery of the largest diamond used to crown Queen Elizabeth II. The town is called Jagersfontein, which has also been renamed Itumeleng, and it is located in the Kopanong local municipality in the Xhariep District.

In 2010, the mine manager told me that I would turn his chair black. He said I should never sit on his chair and also told us that as long as ANC rules, we wouldn’t stop him. That’s why I became an activist. My goal was to become an activist and occasionally fight against what is wrong. I also promised to fight for our people’s human rights violations and illegal practices around our society and environment.

My actions focus on addressing illegal activities and educating people about their human rights as outlined in the Freedom Charter and the Bill of Rights. I challenge all levels of government, including the country’s President. Since connecting with the Benchmarks Foundation, I have drawn strength from their support and sought advice from those around me, including individuals in positions of power.