Deputy Minister of Home Affairs

Personal

• Date of Birth: 30 August 1971.
• Marital Status: Married
• Pastimes: Watching soccer, gym, jogging, reading and writing.

Current Positions

• Deputy Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of South Africa since 29 April 2004.
• Member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC).
• Patron of the OASIS for Hope Hospice.

Academic Qualifications

• Attended Primary schooling at Mathonsi Primary School in Mandeni (1983).
• Matriculated at Vryheid State High School (1988).
• Bachelor of Pedagogics in Education from University of Durban-Westville (UDW) (1989 - 1990).
• Master of Arts in Social Policy from UDW (1992 - 1994).

Career/Memberships/Positions/Other Activities

• Active in various students and youth organisations, namely Congress of South African Students (COSAS), the South African Youth Congress (SAYCO), the South African Student Congress (SASCO) and Young Christian Students (YCS) (1985 - 1993).
• Chaiperson of SASCO at UDW (1993).
• Member of the Geography Students Society, UDW (1989 - 1991).
• Joined the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the ANCYL (1990).
• One of the founding members of the Education Students Society University of Durban-Westville (1992).
• Provincial Secretary of ANCYL and ex-officio of the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the ANC (1994 - 1996).
• Convenor of the Provincial Education Forum (1994 - 1996).
• President of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) (1996 - 2004).
• Member of the ANC's National Deployment Committee.
• Chairperson of the ANCYL's Political Committee and National Economic Development Commission (NEDC).
• Member of Parliament for the ANC (1999 - 2001).
• Served as a member of the Trade and Industry Portfolio Committee.
• Served in the Joint Monitoring Committee on the Quality of Life and Status of Children, Youth and Disabled Persons.
• Member of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Land Affairs (Alternate member).
• appointed by former Minister of Education, Prof Kader Asmal as the ministerial representative to the Council of the University of Potchefstroom since 2001.
• Worked as an Office-Assistant at the Public Affairs Department, University of Durban-Westville (1993).
• Chairperson of the ANCYL Southern KwaZulu-Natal and later Provincial Secretary (1994).
• Worked full-time as a consultant for MACSTEEL Company (1997).

Awards/Decorations/Presentations/Bursaries

• Certificate of Merit by University of Durban-Westville's Faculty of Education for Outstanding achivements and Contribution to faculty and society (1997).
• The Cuban National University Students Federation awarded him the highest medal awarded to students and youth leaders in Cuba, the Jose Antonio Echeverrias Medal at the University of Havana's Aula Matta (2002).
• Presented a paper at The First International Geography Conference, 10 - 14 July 1995 at the University of Durban-Westville entitled: "Land invasions during political transition: the Wiggins saga in Cato Manor".