Tsepo Mhlongo
Tsepo Mhlongo is a South African politician and former member of Parliament, where he served under the official opposition political party, the Democratic Alliance.
The 53-year-old Mhlongo was born in Orlando East, Soweto in Gauteng.
Mhlongo joined Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) as an associate member in 1986 when he was 16 years old. He is also the founder of Jeffino Exclusive Youth Club, an organisation aimed at empowering youngsters through mentorship and youth programs. He founded the organisation in 1994 and his tireless work and commitment towards mentoring youngsters has created an enormous impact within the community of Orlando East and neighbouring locations.
Mhlongo is also an accredited trainer at the Discipleship Training Ministry’s EE iii International. He went to Fairways Bible Institution between 1995 and 1997. He served on the Board of Management at the YMCA Orlando, which is popularly known as Soweto YMCA from 1995 to 2004.
Mhlongo is a charismatic and energetic person with a heart of gold and his personality defines his charm and wisdom.
Apart from being a force to be reckoned in political circles, Mhlongo is a prominent businessman and religious leader. In 1999 he became a founding member of the Spring of the Living Waters interdenominational movement. The movement comprises various political, social and religious formations nationwide with the aim of uniting people to discuss issues of national importance.
In 2001 he was instrumental as a founding member of Agape International Christian Church.
Through his star which continues to shine, Mhlongo became a member of OLASCA, which is a committee looking at the sports interest of the Orlando community. He served in various capacities in order to make sure that talented sports stars in his community get to shine locally and abroad. While serving at OLSACA, Mhlongo became an organizer, making sure that the talent of Orlando in sports get recognized and represented.
In 2002, he was elected to serve as the Executive Member for the Department of Education & Training Council, and he served the council with distinction until he stepped down in 2007.
Mhlongo’s involvement in politics reached the momentum in 1994 when the new transition of power and democracy became real under the new South Africa dispensation.
This new dawn presented Mhlongo with a vision and ambition of serving his people in terms of addressing their challenges. His passion for being a public servant saw him grow even further in political circles.
He joined then Democratic Party political structures in Soweto in 1998. This led to his rise and popularity in the community of Orlando East and other parts of Soweto. Mhlongo also played an influential role in terms of setting up DP branch in Orlando East. He was involved in the civic movement which played a significant role in negotiating the new dispensation of politics. During the same period, he also participated in different committees where he served alongside many senior activist including Mr Wilson Shabangu and many other leading figures in South African politics.
Steadily rising with consistencies within the Democratic Alliance leadership ranks, Mhlongo served in the party’s branch and provincial structures since its inception in 2000. Mhlongo was elected as a shadow candidate Councillor for the Greater Johannesburg, representing Orlando East.
His charm and critical thinking mind with the aim of dealing with issues and challenges faced by black people in townships helped him to get the highest 16% of people who believed in his quest and DA to change and better lives of the society. Mhlongo’s hard work has resulted in him being number 32 in the DA JHB list.