New Brighton's chess mentor to children proves anything's possible ‘with the right moves'

Daily Maverick

5 days ago

Mike Pantsi's chess initiative at Indlela Mental Health in New Brighton, Gqeberha, is transforming young lives.
In the golden light of a quiet afternoon in Gqeberha's New Brighton township, a cluster of wooden chess sets occupies a sunlit corner in a tiny container classroom.
Mike Pantsi, a man often described as a community renaissance figure, presides over the small board with quiet authority. Around him, youngsters with intellectual disabilities lean forward, deep in thought – or delight.
Pantsi wears too many hats to fit neatly into any box. Years ago, in the wake of a personal tragedy, the loss of his only child, he made a solemn vow to continue nurturing his community's children as if they were his own. 'They are mine too,' he says simply.
It was this heartfelt resolve that led him to Indlela Mental Health, a nonprofit organisation in Gqeberha, after weeks of research. This landmark organisation was established in 1939 to serve those with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, and not discriminating against any person.
Indlela provides inclusive, community‑based services ranging from social inclusion awareness campaigns and therapeutic support through its Ilizwi initiative, to residential psychosocial rehabilitation through the Siyaphambili initiative. Youth skills development takes place through its Masakhane initiative.
Pantsi has partnered with the organisation by offering his chess lessons as an extracurricular class to pupils at Indlela. Each week he plays chess with a group of pupils while others continue their agricultural and woodworking activities.
What started as Pantsi's dream of bringing an outdoor chess programme to young people has blossomed into a quiet revolution. 'I had never worked with learners with disabilities, but their bright minds were calling me,' he says. What he found exceeded every expectation: growing skill at the game, impressive focus and, most importantly, bold confidence.
In the South African context especially, vulnerable young black children need confidence. 'That's why chess has black and white pieces, promoting social cohesion and social inclusion, because only when these pieces move together strategically can life move easily,' Pantsi says.
Sport unifies people, especially those who once were segregated. But it is important, Pantsi stresses, that everyone understands the rules of the game.
Sanchia Matthysen, who runs Indlela Mental Health and supplies the chess boards, applauds Pantsi's initiative.
'Chess places each player on level ground. It promotes inclusivity. Despite learning disabilities the learners are fully part of the game – and part of the community.'
She says it gives the children confidence to think through their moves, recognising that each choice has both consequences and the potential to change the trajectory of the whole game.
'You don't need riches to play,' she adds. 'A board can be homemade. And because many children are sensitive to noise, chess also helps them to relax and focus – and get off their phones.'
Pupil reflections
Bukho Bongela (19) admits he first joined the programme for the food. 'But after a few lessons I realised chess is like life: every move must be balanced and considered with the end in mind.'
Amahle Nzwaku (19), the group's only young woman, describes the pieces as family: mother, father, children, spiritual guide. 'Children, like pawns, often find themselves in the firing line. But you can still make moves that protect and preserve hope.'
Pantsi adds that some pawns are able to transcend a barrier. 'Just like how some children are born from poor households but end up achieving great success, anything is possible with the right moves.'
Another important life lesson Pantsi is adamant the pupils must be taught, especially the young men, is the protection of women. 'In chess, a queen is protected, and that is something they need to grasp, especially because they are easily exposed to gender-based violence. They need to know that it is wrong and that a woman is a queen – no harm must come her way.'
Khazimla Vusani (19), whose experience of chess started with playing on a phone app, was sceptical about switching to a physical board. 'But I was wrong, the real thing is better. No distractions, no pop‑ups, just clear thinking.'
Lusindiso Makapela (17) and Anelisa Mnguni (16), speaking with the consent of their parents, say they wish that every young person could experience chess: the joy, power and freedom it brings.
Pantsi's chess initiative demonstrates how small acts rooted in compassion can ripple out into lasting transformation.
In the little classroom, and sometimes in the shade of a tree, with pieces clicked into place and laughter mingling with concentration, there is more than a game being played – it's a quiet rebuilding of hope, skill and community.
And Indlela's mission to unlock potential through inclusive, rights‑based mental health services and skills development finds fertile ground in the chessboard's criss‑cross pattern of possibilities. DM
This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.