Former minister

Mr Ronald Kasrils became Minister for Intelligence Services of the Republic of South Africa on 29 April 2004. Prior to his appointment, he served as Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of South Africa from 24 June 1994 to 16 June 1999 and as Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry from 1999 until 2004. He became Member of the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party (SACP) in December 1986.

Mr Kasrils Matriculated at King Edward VII High School and completed various Military Courses in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) to rank of Brigadier.

Mr Kasrils was Film script writer in Johannesburg from 1958 to 1960; a TV and film director for Lever Brothers advertising division in Durban from 1960 until 1962.

He joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1960.

and was also Secretary of ANC-aligned Congress of Democrats in Natal in 1961. He was founder member of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) as member of Natal Regional Command in 1961 and Commander of Natal Regional Command in 1963.

He completed a general military course and specialist course in military engineering in Odessa in 1963 and served ANC for 27 years, based in London, Luanda, Maputo, Swaziland, Botswana and Lusaka. He was member of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK)'s High Command; Chief of MK Intelligence after completing specialist course to the rank of Brigadier in former USSR in 1983.

He served on ANC's Politico-Military Council from 1985 until 1989; worked underground for the ANC in South Africa on Operation Vula between 1990 and 1991; and he headed the ANC's Campaign Section from 1991 to 1994. He also became member of the Transitional Executive Council's (TEC) Sub-Council on Defence in 1994.

Mr Kasrils has written several books on Bertrand Russel, poetry, articles on Politics, Intelligence, Defence, Water and Forestry issues and Armed and Dangerous- an autobiography published in 1993 and updated and re-published in 1998 and 2004.