Former Premier

Personal

• Date of Birth: 28 November 1949
• Marital Status: Married

Positions last held in government

• Appointed Member of Executive Council (MEC) for Education and Culture in Eastern Cape Province from 1994 to 1999 and as MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture from 1999 to 2004.
• She served as the Premier of the Eastern Cape Province from 22 April 2004 to 25 July 2008.

Academic Qualifications

• Ms Balindlela obtained the Junior Secondary Teacher's Diploma from Lovedale Teacher's College.
• In 1976 she obtained the Bachelor of Arts degree from Universty of Fort Hare.
• In 1979 she obtained Masters degree in Early Childhood Education from Columbia University Teachers College.
• She attended a four months course on Distance Education from Institute of Education at London University in 1992.
• In 2002 She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Fort Hare.

Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities

• Ms Balindlela worked as a Teacher at Gasela Secondary School from 1973 to 1974.
• Taught at Lovedale Teacher's College from 1975 to 1977.
• Founder and Director of Early Learning Centre between 1981 and 1982.
• Between 1982 and 1983 she was a Lecturer of Education Psychology at University of Fort Hare.
• In 1984 Lectured at Cape College Teacher's Education.
• She worked as a Lecturer at University of Transkei and involved in Collegiate University teaching from 1985 to 1987.
• She was appointed head of Junior Primary Department at Dr WB Rubusana College of Education from 1988 to 1991.
• She worked in the Department of Basic Adult Education at the University of Fort Hare from 1991 to 1994.
• Elected regional Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1990 to 1991.
• In 1983 she was nominated a woman of the Year by readers of the Star a Johannesburg newspaper.
• In 1983 she was elected President of Alice Branch of South African University Women.
• Ms Balindlela designed and implemented the curriculum of the Department of Collegiate Education, which resulted in a link between the Colleges, and which led to the establishment of the University and she designed pre-primary Bachelor of Education Curriculum for the Faculty of Education of Fort Hare University.
• Pioneer of three rural pre-schools in Ciskei based on Dr Francis Wilson's findings on poverty.
• She designed and introduced the Amakhaya Home Based Educare programme special emphasis on parental responsibility and participation.
• In January 1992 she introduced breakthrough to Literacy Project at Rhodes University Institute for English in Africa into 10 lower primary schools, Stutterheim.
• Member of the Board of Directors of Stutterheim Development Foundation.