Minister of Correctional Services

Mr Joel Sibusiso Ndebele is the Minister of Correctional Services of the Republic of South Africa as from June 12 2012, and he serves in the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1991 to date. He is also a Chancellor of the University of Zululand.

Mr Ndebele studied Library Science at the University of Zululand during the period 1970 to 1972 and ; he studied a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Politics and African Politics from University of South Africa in 1983, and a Bachelor of Arts honours degree with distinction in Development Administration and Politics in 1985.

He matriculated at Eshowe Teachers' Training and High School in 1968. Attended Primary School at Makhaseneni near Melmoth.

Mr Ndebele has worked as a Publicity Secretary of SASO for the University of Zululand in 1972 and has also worked as an Assistant Librarian at the University of the North between 1973 and 1974.

He joined the African National Congress (ANC) under ground and went into exile in Swaziland in 1974 and lived there up to 1976. While there, he worked as Assistant Librarian at University of Swaziland, during the same period 1974 to 1976.

He was arrested for ANC activities in May 1976 and was sentenced to ten years on Robben Island in June 1977.

Later between 1980 and 1994 he served in the Education Development Trust along with Dr IF Matsepe-Casaburri, and he has played a key role in peace iniatiative in Kwazulu-Natal since 1987. He was elected Regional Secretary of the ANC for Southern Natal and served from 1990 to 1996 and he had worked as Director in the Office of Residence Administration at the University of the Durban - Westville during the period 1991 and 1994.

He served as MEC for Transport for the united province of KwaZulu-Natal in 1994-2004; a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Executive Committee and the Provincial Working Committee of the ANC from 1994 to 2008; as Deputy Chairperson of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal from 1996 to 1998.

Mr Ndebele has served as a Chairperson of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal Province from 1998 to 2008 and he was actively involved in the University Christian Movement and later with the South African Students Organisation (SASO).

He also worked at the archives at a Lutheran Church Centre at Maphumulo.

He was a Research fellow at University of Natal's Department of Town and Regional Planning and founder and Chairperson of the African Renaissance Trust based in KwaZulu-Natal. Prior to his appointment and Minister of Correctional Services, Mr Ndebele has served the Republic of South Africa as MEC for Transport in KwaZulu-Natal from 1994 to 2004, as a Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Province from 22 April 2004 to 10 May 2009 and as a

Minister of Transport from 11 May 2009 to 12 June 2012.

Mr Ndebele received COMTO award for continous support of African Renaissance Awards in the USA at the Transportation African-Renaissance Transportation in 2000 and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Zululand in 2005.