Pastimes: Keen follower and supporter of sport, especially soccer, rugby and cricket.
Current Positions
Minister of Social Development of the Republic of South Africa since 17 June 1999.
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.
