Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

Maite Emily Nkoana-Mashabane (born 30 September 1963),[1] formerly known as Maite Mohale, is a South African politician who served as the Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. She was Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform from 2018 to 2019, and previously served as Minister of International Relations and Cooperation from 2009 to 2018. Nkoana-Mashabane is also a former member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress (ANC).

Maite Nkoana-Mashabane
Maite Nkoana-Mashabane on 16 September 2015
Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities in the Presidency
In office
30 May 2019 – 6 March 2023
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa
Preceded byBathabile Dlamini
Succeeded byNkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform
In office
26 February 2018 – 29 May 2019
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa
Preceded byGugile Nkwinti
Succeeded byPost dissolved
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
In office
10 May 2009 – 26 February 2018
PresidentJacob Zuma
Cyril Ramaphosa
DeputyNomaindia Mfeketo
Luwellyn Landers
Preceded byNkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (Foreign Affairs)
Succeeded byLindiwe Sisulu
Member of the Executive Council for Local Government and Housing of Limpopo
In office
25 September 2004 – 9 May 2008
PremierSello Moloto
Preceded byThabo Nzima
Succeeded bySiyabonga Quintin
Personal details
Born
Maite Emily Nkoana

(1963-09-30) 30 September 1963
Magoebaskloof, South Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress
SpouseNorman Mashabane (Deceased 2007)

Biography

Nkoana-Mashabane was born in Magoebaskloof and raised in Ga-Makanye, Limpopo. During the 1980s, she was an active member of the United Democratic Front and served in various structures of the Mass Democratic Movement and the African National Congress' (ANC) underground structures.[2]

After the unbanning of the ANC in 1990, she served the party in various structures, including the ANC Women's League (ANCWL) and actively participated in the relaunch of the ANCWL in the country. Nkoana-Mashabane went on to be appointed as South African High Commissioner to India and Malaysia.[3][4]

She served as the Chairperson of the ANCWL in Limpopo and as a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the organisation from 1992 to 1995.[5]

On her return to South Africa, Nkoana-Mashabane became Limpopo's Local Government and Housing Member of the Executive Council.[6]

In December 2012, Nkoana-Mashabane was re-elected as a member of the National Executive Committee of the ruling party at the party's 53rd National Conference, held in Mangaung, Free State Province. Her first election to the NEC was at the party's December 2007 National Conference, held in the city of Polokwane.[7][8]

President Jacob Zuma appointed Nkoana-Mashabane as Minister of International Relations and Cooperation on 9 May 2009. Zuma subsequently disputed suggestions that this was an unusual appointment in light of Nkoana-Mashabane's apparent lack of foreign policy experience, saying that "the ANC knows the strengths of this comrade" and noting that she was a member of the ANC National Executive Committee.[9]

During Nkoana-Mashabane's tenure as Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa became a member of the group of emerging economies under the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) banner. Nkoana-Mashabane was President of the 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Durban from 28 November to 11 December 2011.[10]

She was sworn in for a second term as Minister of International Relations and Cooperation on 26 May 2014. She is currently a member of the ANC NEC and NWC. In 2015, Ms Nkoana-Mashabane was elected as the Treasurer General of the ANCWL.[2]

In February 2018, she was moved to the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, and her position was subsequently filled by Lindiwe Sisulu.

Nkoana-Mashabane rose to infamy after an interview on Al-Jazeera (conducted in 1996) where she responded to questions about the state of South Africa by detailing the manner in which she had, in her childhood, carried water pails on her head and subsequently has a hole in her head.[11] She has also continued to be a dogged supporter and defender of disgraced ex-president Jacob Zuma despite his failure to uphold the constitution, his many corruption charges, and his rape charges, and particularly despite his erratic cabinet reshuffles which saw the South African economy lose R5 billion almost overnight.

In May 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa named Nkoana-Mashabane as Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, succeeding Bathabile Dlamini.[12]

Nkoana-Mashabane unsuccessfully stood for re-election to the ANC NEC at the party's 55th National Conference in December 2022.[13] She was removed as a cabinet minister in a cabinet reshuffle on 6 March 2023.[14] Instead of becoming a backbencher, Nkoana-Mashabane opted to resign her seat in the National Assembly on 15 March 2023.[15]

Personal life

Nkoana-Mashabane's first husband was Frans Mohale, a businessman from Limpopo. They had four children together.[16]

Her second husband was Norman Mashabane, who was recalled from his position as South African Ambassador to Indonesia after sexual harassment charges were laid against him. He was later found guilty on those charges in the Pretoria High Court, and quit his post as political adviser.[17] He died in a car accident outside the provincial capital of Polokwane in 2007.[18]

Corruption

As Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Nkoana-Mashabane incurred expenditure of R235 000 for a single flight from Norway to Bulgaria. At the Olso Airport, refusing to have her bag searched and missing her commercial flight, Nkoana-Mashabane insisted on chartering a private jet. [19]

See also

References
  1. "Profile: Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister". Dfa.gov.za. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  2. "Profile: Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister". dirco.gov.za.
  3. "Profile: Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister". dirco.gov.za. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  4. "Reporter apologises to minister". News24. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  5. "*** ANC Parliamentary Caucus ****". caucus.anc.org.za. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  6. "Profiles New Cabinet Ministers | PMG". pmg.org.za. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  7. Wolmarans, Riaan. "Shake-up in ANC national executive". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  8. "52nd National Conference: National Executive Committee as elected | African National Congress". anc.org.za. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  9. "Zuma defends choice" Archived 14 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine, SAPA (News24), 10 May 2009.
  10. Black, Richard (11 December 2011). "UN climate talks end with late deal". BBC.
  11. Spector, J Brooks (7 July 2016). "How the Maite Have Fallen: Whatever happened to informed, worldwise foreign ministers?". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  12. Who's in and who's out of SA's 2019 cabinet. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  13. "Cabinet reshuffle imminent after more than a dozen ministers, deputies fail to make NEC cut". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  14. Makhafola, Getrude (7 March 2023). "Lindiwe Sisulu loses Cabinet seat after nearly 30 years in Parliament". The Citizen. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  15. https://www.timeslive.co.za/authors/kgothatso-madisa. "Ex-minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane resigns as MP after cabinet reshuffle". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 16 March 2023. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  16. "He gave his life for his people". Sowetan. 20 September 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  17. IOL:Sex pest Mashabane quits
  18. "Mashabane killed in car crash". The Times (SA). Retrieved 11 October 2007.
  19. Leon, Tony (2013). Accidental Ambassador (1st ed.). Johannesburg: Picador Africa. p. 243. ISBN 9781770102415.

Sources

Media related to Maite Nkoana-Mashabane at Wikimedia Commons

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