According to Africtionary, the African slang dictionary, an ice boy is “a broke guy who drinks with guys who have money (usually guys he grew up with). They send him around to buy ice, open the beers for them, and do all crazy things because he does not contribute financially.”
While the terms “iceboy” and “icegirl” have become popular in the context of “club life” on social media, we cannot ignore that this dynamic applies to other settings such as student leadership. Having served in numerous student leadership roles, I would define an iceboy or girl as a student leader who lacks significant influence or resources, often relying on more prominent or well-resourced peers.
They perform menial tasks, follow directives and are marginalised within the leadership hierarchy due to their limited contributions or influence.
It is increasingly evident that some student leadership positions are not occupied by individuals passionate about serving, but by those placed there to support a larger organisation, or drive a specific narrative. Whether the narrative is good or bad, ice boys and ice girls play a significant role in shaping the leadership structure, especially those who understand the importance of the directives they follow.
A fair example, but not limited to, is at the University of Namibia. The student leadership structure includes an executive and non-executive organ. Each executive organ across all 12 campuses meets early in the year to elect five members (president, vice president, secretary general, secretary of finance, and speaker of parliament) who will serve as the overall executives of all 12 campuses.
During these times, nominees for the overall executive portfolios rely on ice boys and ice girls to rally votes for them. It is during these times that we realise some student leaders understand they cannot solely rely on their candidate’s manifesto and general campaigns but must counteract other forces, even if it means being ice boys and ice girls, to ensure their candidate prevails.
The unfortunate downside of being an ice boy or ice girl in student leadership is that some student leaders who fit this definition during congress remain in these positions throughout their term, becoming what I would call “ice boy and ice girl for life.”
They tend to forget their portfolio’s oath, and adopt the role of a leader who simply waits for instructions and directives from their superiors, even when such directives do not align with their ideologies or benefit the larger student population.
Here are a few predisposing factors to such a student leadership environment:
Marginalisation in student leadership: Those with resources often overpower those without.
Cliques and group dynamics: Established cliques within student leadership can marginalise newcomers or those outside the inner circle, relegating them to less influential roles.
Lack of understanding or experience for the portfolio: Inexperienced or less confident students might struggle to take on prominent leadership roles, ending up in subordinate positions, where they perform menial tasks.
Networking and connections: Students with fewer social connections or networking opportunities may struggle to secure influential positions, instead finding themselves in roles that support more connected peers.
Lack of mentorship and support: Without proper mentorship or support from faculty and senior leaders, some students may not develop the skills or confidence needed to take on more significant leadership roles.
While it is only fair to acknowledge that it is not easy to navigate away from all five predisposing factors, it is quite important that we ensure that every student leader almost willingly chooses to be an ice boy/girl, and should not be appointed as such or remain in that position.
*Mauricio Adelino is a senior veterinary medicine student at the University of Namibia. A former student leader and former secretary general of the International Veterinary Student Association of Namibia (2022).