Former Minister

Personal

• Date of Birth: 13 August 1948
• Marital Status: Married

Positions last held in government

• Minister of Defence of the Republic of South Africa from 17 June 1999 until 25 September 2008.

Academic Qualifications

• Attended Primary education at Emma Farm School.
• Secondary education at Mariazel, Matatiele (Standard 8).
• Matriculated at St Francis College, Marianhill (1969).
• Enrolled for a Social Science degree at University of the North. Expelled due to Student Representative Council (SRC) and South African Student's Organisation (SASO) activities (1972).

Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities

• Joined and became permanent Organiser for SASO (1974 - 1975).
• Instrumental in organising victory celebrations when Mozambique won its freedom from Portugues colonial rule (1974).
• Imprisoned at Robben Island Prison for conspiring to commit acts endangering the maintenance of law and order (1974 - 1982).
• Founder member of United Democratic Front (UDF).
• Elected Publicity Secretary for the UDF (1983).
• Contributed to the publication of the book titled, '30 years of the Freedom Charter' (1985).
• Detained and sentenced in the Delmas trial (1985).
• Released after the Appeal Court reviewed the sentence (1989).
• Convenor of the African National Congress (ANC) in Southern Natal (1990).
• Elected to the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) and its National Working Committee (NWC).
• Served as Chief of Intelligence (1991).
• Elected Secretary for ANC Election Commission (1992).
• Premier of the Free State Provincial government (1994 - 1996).
• Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces ( February 1997 - June 1999).
• National Chairperson of the ANC (December 1997-December 2007).

Research/Presentations/Awards/Decorations/Bursaries and Publications

• Author of 'Prison Letters to my Daughter'.