RHODES University social science student Likhaye Ngqezana, at the tender age of 23, was elected the youngest mayor in Grahamstown’s 180 year history at Monday night’s monthly city council meeting. Ngqezana, who is in his final year of study and has served on the council for only three months, was the sole nominee for mayor. An SACP member and ANC branch secretary before his election, Ngqezana was Cosas regional chair from 1993 to 1995. The “young lion” said in his acceptance speech he would focus on repealing municipal ordinances “stifling transformation and delivery”, creating an internal equity plan based on the council’s affirmative action policy and the Equity Act, and deracialising city boundaries.