She became increasingly aware of social issues and injustices as she saw her mother struggle to put food on the table and her community denied electricity from the local power station because of apartheid attitudes.
SAFCEI had been advocating for renewable energy to combat climate change and had already taken a stance against South Africa's nuclear industry.
Together, the two women developed a plan to challenge the project, including President Zuma himself, on the grounds that the agreement was secret and had bypassed legal procedures without public consultation or parliamentary debate.
Lekalakala and McDaid also held public rallies and marches to protest the nuclear project, demonstrating throughout South Africa.
Lekalakala and McDaid's legal triumph was a landmark victory that protected South Africa from the severe development of nuclear infrastructure, which would have had long-lasting environmental, health, and financial consequences for future generations.