Saadiq Daniels’ face lights up when he begins to speak about his acceptance at the University of the Western Cape to begin his higher education journey. And his excitement is infectious. 

Caption: Saadiq Daniels is a 19 year old UWC first year student.

The 19-year-old from Bonteheuwel was on campus for the Rector’s Welcome and the First-Year Orientation programme that followed. Saadiq didn’t want to miss a single moment of the student experience. After graduating from Vista Nova Special Education School last year, Saadiq was already a young man who had become accustomed to new and exciting experiences and never let his cerebral palsy hold him back.

In 2022, Saadiq was part of the child monitor programme and delivered a presentation on children’s rights at a United Nations meeting. He addressed ambassadors from Canada, Switzerland, Mexico, Barbados, New Zealand, and Norway, who were members of a European Union delegation. He called for the South African Constitution to be amended to have a national children’s commissioner appointed, with provisions that each province has a children’s commissioner too. The Western Cape is the only province with a Children’s Commissioner, which Saadiq argued must be changed and expanded to each province. “(At the United Nations meeting) I also called on the South African Constitution to be amended so that children have voting rights because the voting age is too high. I wanted them to lower the voting age to 16 years old because I feel that politicians and lawmakers need to take the opinions of children seriously,” said Saadiq.

His passion for justice and human rights was a key motivator for selecting this university: “I chose UWC because I am very politically aware, and I am aware that UWC has a rich history when it comes to the resistance to apartheid.” His work with the Children’s Commissioner also made the possibility of his UWC journey easier: “We have an after school programme after matric, where the commissioner helps you to apply to university. She asked me one day what I wanted to study and where I wanted to study. I said UWC, and she asked if I applied. She suggested we meet with CSSS (Centre for Student Support Services) staff, and it was then that I discovered how supportive UWC is.” 

Now, with the start of the first semester looming, Saadiq explained being a first-year has its ups and downs: “I felt a little bit nervous because school is only one building where you get all your classes, and here at UWC, there are a lot of fancy buildings and I didn’t know how I would make my way around. But the Peer Facilitators took us around the campus.” 

At his school, his classes were small - usually between 15 to 20 pupils. Now he will have classes with dozens of students. While it is daunting for the youngster, he is not alone. Saadiq, like all first-year students, will have the support of the whole UWC campus community.