Takalani Makhwathana is a fourth-year MBChB student at the University of Cape Town, with a strong academic interest in public health, preventative medicine, and rural healthcare. Driven by a commitment to health equity, Takalani’s long-term goal is to contribute to public health research that addresses the root causes of illness and helps shift the healthcare system’s focus from curative to preventative care, particularly within underserved communities.

Deeply aware of the challenges facing South Africa’s healthcare system, Takalani is passionate about strengthening primary healthcare and alleviating the strain on secondary and tertiary services. His vision is rooted in the belief that health is inseparable from the social, political, and economic contexts in which people live.

Takalani’s leadership extends beyond medicine into student governance and social advocacy. He is a former branch convener of the EFF Student Command (EFFSC), he entered student politics out of a deep belief in socialism and a desire to support students navigating a higher education environment that remains structurally exclusionary and anti-poor. He currently serves on several university committees, including the Admissions Committee, where he hopes to ensure that there is transformation, access, and student representation.

On a lighter note, outside his academic and political commitments, Takalani enjoys spending time with friends or unwinding alone with a game of chess.