Jonathan Peters Annipen is the chairperson of the Minority Front Youth Association. He serves as a member of the Safer Schools committee and is the Youth Parliamentary Ambassador. Mr Annipen, a former school teacher, is also the former chairperson of the Phoenix Youth Empowerment Forum. He is a motivational speaker and as achieved many awards for debates and public speaking.
Jonathan Annipen’s Political CV
Cllr Jonathan Annipen first began working with the Minority Front while still a learner at a local high school in Phoenix. In 2005 Cllr Jonathan inspired by the work of current MF Leader, Mrs Shameen Thakur Rajbansi, invited her to address the learners at Daleview Secondary at the schools Women’s Day event.
Cllr Jonathan, possessed a keen interest in politics since an early age and was responsible for planning events of to commemorate political occasions at his local school.
In 2009 Cllr Annipen, then an educator invited the late Mr A Rajbansi to attend and speak at the 80th Anniversary of Durban Girls Secondary, a School to which Mr Rajbansi had appointed the first Female Indian Principal in SA during his tenure as Minister of Education in the House Of Delegates. This lead to the beginning of a significant political bond between The Minority Front and Cllr Jonathan Annipen. In 2012 Jonathan Represented the Minority Front at the KZN Provincial Legislature’s youth sectoral parliament where his motion for a Safe Schools Programme Committee was adopted and established by the provincial government.
In 2013 Annipen joined the MF as a office based full-time volunteer.
In 2014 Councillor Jonathan Annipen contested his first Local Government Election which, although unsuccessful, became the spring board for his vibrant and distinct political personality.
Other Political Achievements Include:
2013 – Minority Front Youth Leader
2014 – Media Liaison Officer – Office of the Leader
2014 – Appointed to the National Executive Committee Of the Minority Front
2015 – Party Spokesperson
2016 – Local Government Elections Campaign Manager – Ethekwini
2016 – Mayoral Candidate for the Local Government Election
2016 – Deployed to Ethekwini Municiplaity as a PR Councillor for the Minority Front
2018 – Re-Elected to serve on the Minority Front National Executive Committee
Represented the Youth wing of the Minority Front at Youth Parliament in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
Skills Include But Not Restricted To:
- Public Debates
- Communication
- Letter writing
- Event co-ordination
- Social Media advancing
- Inter-Personal Relations
Councillor Jonathan Annipen is a strong minded and determined Politician who fiercely fights for the rights of the marginalized, poor and disadvantaged. His expertise in the areas of Local Government, Health, Education, Social Development and Home Affairs has made him a force to be reckoned with.
Cllr Annipen attributes his political success to the mentoring by Minority Front Leader Mrs Shameen Thakur Rajbansi and to the prayers of his late parents.