Minister of Finance

Personal

• Date of Birth: 12 April 1949
• Marital Status: Married

Current Positions

• Minister of Finance of the Republic of South African since 11 May 2009.
• Chairperson of the Forum on Tax Administration (FTA) within the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development since 2008.

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Pharmacy from University of Durban Westville University.

Career/Memberships/Positions/Other Activities

• Involved in politics during the late 1960s.
• Organised and led the Student Movement and Civic Structures during the 1970s and 1980s.
• Detained three times by the Apartheid government.
• Participated in the Multi-party talks at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) (1990).
• Co-Chairperson of Transtional Executive Council which prepared the country for the elections (9191 - 1994).
• Participated in drafting the White Paper on Local Government which laid the foundation for developing Local Government Authorities.
• Chairperson of Parliamentary Constitutional Committee in Parliament which had oversight over implementation of the new Constitution (1996).
• Took part in the Natal Indian Congress call to boycott election in 1980s.
• Participated in the underground structures of the African National Congress (ANC) for four years.
• Worked as Phamacist at the King Edward V11 Hospital in Durban (1974 - 1981).
• He was involved in the African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Part (SACP).
• Member of Parliament (1994 - 1998).
• Deputy Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (1998 - 1999).
• Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) until July 2006.
• Commissioner of South Africa Revenue (1999 - 10 May 2009).

Awards/Decorations/Presentations/Bursaries

• Doctorate of Commerce honoris causa from the University of South Africa (UNISA) May 2007.
• Doctorate of Law honoris causa from the University of Cape Town June 20007.
• DTech: Business Administration from the of Free State Central University of Technology March 2009.