Former Minister

Personal

• Date of Birth: 14 April 1942
• Marital Status: Married
• Other: Keen follower and supporter of sport, especially soccer, rugby and cricket.

Positions last held in government

• Minister of Social Development of the Republic of South Africa from 17 June 1999 - 10 May 2009.
• Co-Chair of the Social Sector Cluster of Governance.
• Member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress since 1985.
• Chairperson of the National Disciplinary Committee (2008).
• President of the Intergovernmental Council of the UNESCO Management of Social Transformation Programme (MOST) since 2005.
• Constituency Office: Kuilsrivier.

Academic Qualifications

• Started school in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth and later continued at Retreat, Cape Town.
• Obtained Junior and Senior certificates at Lovedale High School, Alice.
• Student at Fort Hare University (did not complete).
• LLD, University of Leipzig, Germany (1978).

Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities

• Active in student activities against Bantu education.
• Joined the ANC in 1956 and became active until 1962.
• Active member of the ANC at Lovedale and Fort Hare.
• Mobilised support among the people for Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) when Nelson Mandela went overseas to seek military training facilities for the ANC.
• Left South Africa for military training (1962).
• Worked for the ANC in various offices and capacities, including as the Chair of the Office for Justice reporting to the President of the ANC (1985 - 1990).
• Set up the ANC Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1982.
• Represented the ANC at the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) (1982 - 1985).
• Recalled to Lusaka to set up the ANC Legal and Constitutional Department (1985).
• Chairperson of the ANC Constitution Committee (1985 - 2000).
• Represented the ANC at the annual United Nations Commission for Human Rights (1984 - 1993).
• Returned from exile (1990), setup the Constitution Committee in preparation for the negotiations with the apartheid regime.
• Member of the ANC Negotiations Commission 1990.
• Co-ordinator of the ANC Civil Service Unit which trained anti apartheid activist in preparation to become future civil Servants 1990.
• Member of the National Working Committee (NWC)of the ANC (1991 - 2007).
• Assisted in setting up the Centre for Development Studies at the University of the Western Cape and the South African Legal Defence Fund.
• President of the Board of Trustees of the National Commission for the Rights of Children (1990 - 1995).
• Chairperson to the United Nations Commission for Social Development (2000 and 2005).
• Minister of the Public Service and Administration of the Republic South Africa (1994 - 1999).
• 1995-1997 President and member of the Board of the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration Management.
• Setup and Coordinated the Southern AAfrican Development Community (SADC) Forum of Ministers' of Social Development since 2004.
• Re-elected to the National Executive Committee of the ANC in Polokwane, December 2007.