Former Deputy Minister

Personal

• Date of Birth: 21 July 1943
• Marital Status: Single
• Other: Listening to music, watching sport and reading.

Positions last held in government

• Deputy Minister of Provincial and Local Government of the Republic of South Africa from 30 May 2001 to 28 April 2004.
• Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa from 29 April 2004 to 10 May 2009.
• Member of Parliament in the National Assembly 1997.
• Member of portfolio committees on Justice and Constitutional Development, Improvement of the Quality and the Status of Women and Finance (Alt).

Academic Qualifications

• She attended Welsh High School in East London from 1958 to 1961.
• University of South Africa (UNISA) courses credited towards B Proc Degree.
• Attended UNISA Certificate Programme on Women and the Law in 1995.

Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities

• She worked as a Bookkeeper and Paralegal with Louis JC Hart Attorneys from 1963 to 1971.
• She worked as Company Administrator and Wage Clerk for Gentner Manufacturing Company from 1971 to 1974.
• From 1974 to 1986 she joined Southern Life as an Accounts Clerk for New Business, Accounts Supervisor and later as a Training Officer.
• Associate member of the South African Allied Workers Union from 1980 to 1981.
• She served as Secretary of the UDF, East London Region between 1983 and 1984 and as Treasurer of the Border Region between 1985 and 1986.
• She served as an Organising Secretary of the South African Council of Churches-Border Region from 1986 to 1990.
• Member of the United Women's Organisations from 1981 to 1989.
• A member of the Steering Committee responsible for setting up the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Border Region in 1983.
• Member and Secretary of the Regional Interim Committee responsible for setting up the African National Congress (ANC) structures in the Border Region in 1990 and as member of the South Africa National Civic Organisation (SANCO) and Secretary of Zone 8 Mdantsane respectively.
• She worked as Regional, Provincial and National Paralegal Training Project Co-ordinator for Lawyers for Human Rights from 1991 to 1994; and between 1994 to 1996.
• Founder member of the Women's Development Foundation from 1991 to 2007.
• National Convenor of the Independent Forum for Electoral Education from 1993 to 1994.
• Member of the Community Education Computer Society from 1996 to 1997.
• Between 1996 and 1997 she worked for Lawyers for Human Rights Office in East London.
• Vice-Chairperson of the Eastern Cape Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Coalition from 1996 to 1997.
• Represented the South African Parliament at the Inter-Parliament Union Conference in Moscow, Russia in 1998.
• Co-Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee on Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination.
• Co-ordinator of the Choral Music Festival in East London since 1996.

Research/Presentations/Awards/Decorations/Bursaries and Publications

• Has presented several speeches and papers at various conferences.