Passing of Nosiku Kalonga, an alumnus of our inaugural 2015 “Leading in Public Life” Young African Leaders Programme

It is with great sadness and shock that as the Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice (GSDPP) we learned of the untimely passing of Nosiku Kalonga, a social justice activist from Zambia. We understand that Nosiku passed away in early March from complications resulting from a medical procedure. An alumnus of the inaugural 2015 “Leading in Public Life” Young African Leaders Programme, she came to UCT for two weeks in March 2015 and we met again in Lusaka, Zambia in November 2015 at an alumni gathering and regional workshop on African economic integration. 

Everyone who met Nosiku was touched by her energy and passion, grace and beauty. She was a force to be reckoned with, deeply committed to empowering the community she worked with as a Founding Director of Mmabana community based organization specializing in youth and child development. 

At the end of the ”Leading in Public Life” programme we recorded a three minute video. Watch Nosiku’s moving reflection wherein she notes her commitment “to continue to be a bridge between the poor and the powerful”. We express our deep condolences to her family and community on the loss of a powerful African leader.