Back to Basics: Andile Mkhaza on Radical Youth Development
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On JustGospel's Soul Food Family Dedication with Lindi Tshabangu, musician and youth worker Andile Mkhaza shared his radical approach to youth development—meeting young people where they are and redirecting their energy from substances to talents.
The "Jesus Gang" Revelation
After seeing the JustGospel logo, Andile had an epiphany: "It looked like Jesus Gang—identifiable and relatable to youth." This sparked his vision for RYD (Radical Youth Development), a program addressing youth who are "very skilled but have no direction."
The Radical Approach
"I'm not saying stop substances," Andile explained candidly. "That's why I said radical. They'll have their substances, but if you continue doing what they love—artwork, producing, recording—they end up putting the substance to the side and spending time on that talent."
Last year, he sat with youth understanding their needs. This year: implementing solutions to show government "just let them be them, but cater for whatever substance it is." When youth focus on talents, substances naturally become secondary.
Reintegrating Addicts
Having worked at Yahweh Rafa recovery center, Andile now tackles the harder question: "How do we bring someone who doesn't know God to understanding how God can save their lives? Reintegrating the addict back into society—that's what I'm trying to look into."
Colossians 3:5: Let Go and Let God
The conversation centered on Colossians 3:5: "Let go, don't be greedy. Don't make your substance become your God." Lindi emphasized: "Your body becomes your dictator. Your mind says you're entitled, making you crave. This is where we need God to take control. That's why fasting is an effective tool."
Andile connected it to Isaiah: "Give me no more new moon festivals or burnt offerings, but offer up your bodies as living sacrifices. If you can control your body—keep it still, not rushing for food—you can control other things you have no control over."
Learning From Youth
Working with strong-willed youth mirrors his own past iron will. "It's irritating at some point, but it lets me learn more about myself and what God wants me to do. When they share based on what I tell them, it opens my eyes to another angle. Why didn't I think of it like that? Once I take it from them and share it with others, they brighten up—somebody cares, somebody listens, somebody identifies with me."
The Impatience Confession
Andile admitted his greatest struggle: impatience. At University of Free State in cultural arts stability class, he literally flipped off the sky, telling God: "I require my gifts and rewards NOW because of time and space." This led him into darkness—dabbling in witchcraft, selling souls. "That instantaneous gratification put me into trouble for a very long time. I'm still dealing with that now—it haunts me, but it's become much more bearable."
His mother helped him through it with prayer: three candles, praying at 3, 6, and 9 for three days. "It helped. It showed me the danger of impatience and greed."
What Defiles?
Andile quoted Matthew: "It's not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of his mouth." He reflected: "These drugs I ingest—do they defile me, or is it how I act when intoxicated? I realized: it's the way I act. These things alter my mind, emotions, and actions—I become something God didn't intend. So I'm backtracking, not taking certain things, and taking more of the Word to cleanse me from what I've already done. If I put more God inside me, I'll react and respond in a Godly way."
The Music Coming
Andile revealed his friend Moses Mqelitz's late mother gave him a book where he wrote a 16-bar verse about Christ. "I was blown away how it came together—not conventional Christ music, but really crazy." He's aiming to record it by his birthday, March 27th. "But it's God's timing, not mine."
The Message
Go back to the basics of life. Your body is God's temple. Cleanse it to receive Christ. "If you're defiling the temple, how can you receive His word
The "Jesus Gang" Revelation
After seeing the JustGospel logo, Andile had an epiphany: "It looked like Jesus Gang—identifiable and relatable to youth." This sparked his vision for RYD (Radical Youth Development), a program addressing youth who are "very skilled but have no direction."
The Radical Approach
"I'm not saying stop substances," Andile explained candidly. "That's why I said radical. They'll have their substances, but if you continue doing what they love—artwork, producing, recording—they end up putting the substance to the side and spending time on that talent."
Last year, he sat with youth understanding their needs. This year: implementing solutions to show government "just let them be them, but cater for whatever substance it is." When youth focus on talents, substances naturally become secondary.
Reintegrating Addicts
Having worked at Yahweh Rafa recovery center, Andile now tackles the harder question: "How do we bring someone who doesn't know God to understanding how God can save their lives? Reintegrating the addict back into society—that's what I'm trying to look into."
Colossians 3:5: Let Go and Let God
The conversation centered on Colossians 3:5: "Let go, don't be greedy. Don't make your substance become your God." Lindi emphasized: "Your body becomes your dictator. Your mind says you're entitled, making you crave. This is where we need God to take control. That's why fasting is an effective tool."
Andile connected it to Isaiah: "Give me no more new moon festivals or burnt offerings, but offer up your bodies as living sacrifices. If you can control your body—keep it still, not rushing for food—you can control other things you have no control over."
Learning From Youth
Working with strong-willed youth mirrors his own past iron will. "It's irritating at some point, but it lets me learn more about myself and what God wants me to do. When they share based on what I tell them, it opens my eyes to another angle. Why didn't I think of it like that? Once I take it from them and share it with others, they brighten up—somebody cares, somebody listens, somebody identifies with me."
The Impatience Confession
Andile admitted his greatest struggle: impatience. At University of Free State in cultural arts stability class, he literally flipped off the sky, telling God: "I require my gifts and rewards NOW because of time and space." This led him into darkness—dabbling in witchcraft, selling souls. "That instantaneous gratification put me into trouble for a very long time. I'm still dealing with that now—it haunts me, but it's become much more bearable."
His mother helped him through it with prayer: three candles, praying at 3, 6, and 9 for three days. "It helped. It showed me the danger of impatience and greed."
What Defiles?
Andile quoted Matthew: "It's not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of his mouth." He reflected: "These drugs I ingest—do they defile me, or is it how I act when intoxicated? I realized: it's the way I act. These things alter my mind, emotions, and actions—I become something God didn't intend. So I'm backtracking, not taking certain things, and taking more of the Word to cleanse me from what I've already done. If I put more God inside me, I'll react and respond in a Godly way."
The Music Coming
Andile revealed his friend Moses Mqelitz's late mother gave him a book where he wrote a 16-bar verse about Christ. "I was blown away how it came together—not conventional Christ music, but really crazy." He's aiming to record it by his birthday, March 27th. "But it's God's timing, not mine."
The Message
Go back to the basics of life. Your body is God's temple. Cleanse it to receive Christ. "If you're defiling the temple, how can you receive His word
