Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training

Personal

• Date of Birth: 6 September 1952
• Marital Status: Married

Current Positions

• Deputy Minister of Correctional Services of the Republic of South Africa since 2009.
• Member of Parliament since 2009.
• Founder member and trustee of the Children and Violence Trust since 1995.
• A trustee of the Malibongwe Business Trust since 2005.
• Chairperson of the Peace Commission of the South African Women in Dialogue since 2004.
• Treasurer General of the African National Congress (ANC) Women's League (WL) and became the member of the National Executive Committee of the WL since 2008.

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, Social Work and Sociology from the University of Zululand in 1976.
• Bachelor of Arts Hons in Psychology from the University of Natal in 1978.
• Masters in Clinical Pychology from the University of Natal in 1981.
• Honorary Professor of Psychology from University of South Africa.
• Registered for a PhD at the University of Natal for 5 years but didnot defend the Thesis due to political interruptions.

Positions last held/Career/Memberships/Other Activities

• Served in the Inter University Executive from 1974 to 1977.
• Visiting professor at the University of Illinois between September 1986 and March 1987 and the University of Mississippi in 1989.
• Served in the committee which was mandated to do preparatory work in the formation of a women's coalition from 1992 to 1993.
• Served in the Academic Staff Association (University of Zululand) which was affiliated to the United Democratic Front from 1984 to 1990.
• Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at the University of Zululand from 1984 to 1990.
• She served in the Central Committee which organised the biggest rally at the University of Zululand celebrating the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990.
• Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand from 1990 to 1995.
• She served in the interim BEC of the ANC in Sandton from 1995 to 1999.
• She served as the deputy chair of the ANC Sandton Branch executive committee (BEC) from 1999 to 2000.
• She served as the ANC Zonal Chairperson, the Zone comprised Alexander Township, Sandton and Johannesburg East from 1999 to 2000.
• She served in the ANC BEC in Diepsloot from 1991 to 1994
• Served in the National Conflict Resolution Centre Action Committee Against Violence from 1991 to 1995.
• Board member of the National Women's Resource Centre from 1993 to 1995.
• Served in the Goldstone Commission Committee formed with a purpose of clarifying the status of traumatised children from 1993 to 1994.
• Board member of the Human Rights Foundation from 1993 to 1994.
• Board member of the South African Prisoner's Organisation for Human Rights from 1994 to 1995.
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission Commissioner and Chairperson of the Reparations and Rehabilitation committee from 1995 to 2003.
• Member of the Peace Accord Secretariat and later trustee of the National Peace Accord Trust from 1996 to 2004.
• Chairperson of FAZE 2- Civil Society organisation after the World Conference Against Racism held in Durban from 2001 to 2005.
• Served as Reparations officer in the president's fund located in the Ministry of Justice from 2003 to 2005.
• Member of the Rehabilitation committee from 1995 to 2003.
• Chairperson of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons from 2005 to 2007.
• Chairperson of the Council of the University of Zululand from 2005 to 2007. Prior to being appointed chairperson, she was a deputy Chairperson and council member from 2001 to 2004.
• Chairperson of Transparency International, South Africa from 2004 to 2005.
• Vice President of the Member States at the International Criminal Court at the Hague and the United Nations from 2006 to 2008.
• Nominated for the national list to parliament for the third democratic elections in 2004.
• Member of the Working Committee on the Policy of the ANC Women's League in 2004.
• Elected as the secretary of the ANC Havana City Branch. At the same time she was the chairperson of the ANC Women League from 2001 to 2004.
• Elected by civil society in her residential area to serve as a health representative within the local Councillor's Committee from 2001 to 2004.
• Ambassador of South Africa to the Netherlands from 2005 to 2008.
• Deputy Minister of Correctional Services of the Republic of South Africa since 2009.

Research/Presentations/Awards/Decorations/Bursaries and Publications

• She has published in international journals such as International Journal of Medicine and Law and Women and Therapy.