Pam Tshwete

Pamela Tshwete (born 3 October 1951) is a South African politician from the Eastern Cape. She is currently serving as Deputy Minister of Human Settlements since August 2021. She has been a member of the National Assembly since 2002 and a deputy minister since 2013.

The Honourable
Pamela Tshwete
MP
Deputy Minister of Human Settlements
Assumed office
5 August 2021
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa
MinisterMmamoloko Kubayi
Preceded byPortfolio re-established
Member of the National Assembly
Assumed office
2002
Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
In office
30 May 2019 – 5 August 2021
Serving with David Mahlobo
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa
MinisterLindiwe Sisulu
Preceded byPortfolio established
Succeeded byPortfolio abolished
Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation
In office
26 May 2014 – 7 May 2019
PresidentJacob Zuma
Cyril Ramaphosa
MinisterNomvula Mokonyane
Gugile Nkwinti
Preceded byPortfolio established
Succeeded byPortfolio merged
Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform
In office
10 July 2013 – 25 May 2014
PresidentJacob Zuma
MinisterGugile Nkwinti
Preceded byLech Tsenoli
Succeeded byCandith Mashego-Dlamini
Mcebisi Skwatsha
Personal details
Born (1951-10-03) 3 October 1951
Cape Province, Union of South Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Spouse
​
(died 2002)​
RelationsMonde Zondeki (nephew)
Children3, including Mayihlome and Lindela

During her first decade in the National Assembly, Tshwete served the African National Congress (ANC) as a whip, first as a committee whip and then as disciplinary whip from 2009 to 2013. President Jacob Zuma appointed her as a deputy minister in July 2013; she was Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform from 2013 to 2014 and Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation from 2014 to 2019. After the 2019 general election, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Tshwete as Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, a newly created ministry; she was responsible for human settlements and retained that portfolio when the ministry was split again in August 2021.

The widow of activist Steve Tshwete, she joined the ANC in exile during apartheid and was later active in the ANC Women's League. She has been a member of the ANC National Executive Committee since December 2012.

Early life and activism

Born on 3 October 1951,[1] Tshwete matriculated at Zwelitsha High School in King Williams Town in the former Cape Province.[2] Come of age during apartheid, she joined the African National Congress (ANC) in exile. While exiled, she trained as a nurse in Lusaka, Zambia.[2]

Upon her return from exile, Tshwete became a community activist,[3] and she was active in the ANC's newly legalised structures in Mdantsane and Peelton.[2] She was elected to the National Executive Committee of the ANC Women's League for the first time in 1993, and she went on to serve in the Provincial Executive Committee of the mainstream ANC in the Eastern Cape.[4]

National Assembly backbenches: 2002–2013

Tshwete was sworn in to the National Assembly in 2002, filling a casual vacancy in the ANC's caucus.[5][4] She was elected to a full term in her seat in the next general election, initially representing the Eastern Cape constituency,[1] though she was later listed on the ANC's national party list. Over the next decade, she served as an ANC whip in a series of different portfolio committees, and from 2009 to 2013, she was the overall disciplinary whip in the ANC caucus, serving under Chief Whip Mathole Motshekga.[4][6]

During this period, Tshwete rose through the ranks of the ANC. Ahead of the ANC's 52nd National Conference in December 2007, Tshwete was nominated to stand for election to the ANC National Executive Committee;[7] her candidacy was backed by supporters of President Thabo Mbeki, who was ousted from the ANC presidency at the same conference.[8] Though Tshwete was not elected in 2007, she gained election to the committee at the next elective conference, held in Mangaung in December 2012.[9]

National executive: 2013–present

Rural Development and Land Reform: 2013–2014

On 9 July 2013, President Jacob Zuma announced a cabinet reshuffle in which Tshwete was appointed to succeed Lech Tsenoli as Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform.[10][6] She served under Minister Gugile Nkwinti.

Water and Sanitation: 2014–2019

In the 2014 general election, Tshwete was re-elected to her parliamentary seat, ranked 48th on the ANC's national party list.[11] When Zuma named his cabinet after the election, she was appointed as Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation under Minister Nomvula Mokonyane.[12] She remained in the portfolio throughout Zuma's second term in the presidency, and she was re-elected to the ANC National Executive Committee at the party's 54th National Conference in December 2017.[13] The Mail & Guardian reported that, though previously viewed as a political supporter of Zuma, Tshwete ultimately supported the National Executive Committee's bid to remove Zuma as South African President in February 2018.[14]

Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation: 2019–2021

Tshwete was elected to another term in the National Assembly in the 2019 general election, now ranked 70th on the ANC's party list.[11] In Ramaphosa's new cabinet, her former portfolio was merged with the Ministry of Human Settlements to create the Ministry of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation under Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.[15] Tshwete was one of two deputy ministers appointed to the new portfolio; she was given responsibility for human settlements, while David Mahlobo was responsible for water and sanitation.[16][17]

Human Settlements: 2021–present

On 5 August 2021, Ramaphosa announced a reshuffle that involved reversing the 2019 ministerial merger.[18] Tshwete was appointed as Deputy Minister of Human Settlements under the newly appointed minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi.[19] While in this office, at the ANC's 55th National Conference in December 2022, Tshwete was elected to a third consecutive term in the ANC National Executive Committee; she was ranked 71st among the 80 candidates elected.[20]

Personal life

Tshwete lives in King Williams Town.[21] She has various business interests.[22]

She was married to anti-apartheid activist and politician Steve Tshwete, who died in April 2002; they had three children.[23] One of their sons, Mayihlome Tshwete, is the husband of media personality Zizo Beda and a former spokesman to Minister Malusi Gigaba.[24] Another, Lindela Tshwete, is a politician in the opposition Democratic Alliance.[25] International cricketer Monde Zondeki is her nephew.[26]

References
  1. "General Notice: Notice 717 of 2004 - Electoral Commission – List of Names of Representatives in the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures in Respect of the Elections Held on 14 April 2004" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 466, no. 2677. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 20 April 2004. pp. 4–95. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. "Ms Pamela Tshwete". Parliament of South Africa. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  3. "New ministers". Witness. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  4. "Ms. Pamela Tshwete: Deputy Minister of the Department of Human Settlements". Department of Human Settlements. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  5. "Pamela Tshwete, Ms". South African Government. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  6. "Zuma's new Cabinet not all it's cracked up to be". The Mail & Guardian. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  7. "ANC releases consolidated nominations list". The Mail & Guardian. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  8. "NEC lists reflect the ANC's great divide". IOL. 14 October 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  9. "Pro-Zuma NEC announced at Mangaung". The Mail & Guardian. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  10. "Zuma fires Pule, Sexwale". News24. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  11. "Pam Tshwete". People's Assembly. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  12. "Jacob Zuma's Cabinet: Who's in". News24. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  13. "Meet the new ANC NEC". News24. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  14. "Zuma has until end of Tuesday to resign – sources". The Mail & Guardian. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  15. Nicolson, Greg (29 May 2019). "Ramaphosa cuts Cabinet from 36 to 28 ministers, half of whom are women". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  16. Khumalo, Juniour (18 June 2019). "Deputy ministers get real jobs at last". City Press. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  17. Ngqakamba, Sesona (14 June 2019). "Here are the 10 departments Ramaphosa has merged". News24. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  18. "Ramaphosa's Cabinet reshuffle – who's in, who's out?". News24. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  19. Masuabi, Queenin (22 August 2021). "Mmamoloko Kubayi: We have to improve spending". City Press. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  20. "Full list: ANC NEC members". eNCA. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  21. "Deputy minister's house robbed again". News24. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  22. "19 Cabinet members still have private business interests". News24. 27 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  23. "Obituary: Steve Tshwete". Telegraph. 2 May 2002. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  24. Tsebetsebe, Lebogang (13 December 2015). "Zizo and Mayihlome tie the knot at lavish private ceremony". City Press. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  25. "ANC stalwart's son: My family accepts my move to DA". News24. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  26. "Zondeki looks for that lost swing". IOL. 3 June 2005. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
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