Positions last held in government

Mr Alexander Erwin served as Minister of Public Enterprises of the Republic of South Africa from 29 April 2004 to 2009. Prior to his appointment, he served as Minister of Trade and Industry from 4 April 1996 to 28 April 2004 and as Deputy Minister of Finance from May 1994 to April 1996.

Academic Qualifications

Mr Alexander Erwin holds a B Econ (Hons) from the University of Natal, Durban in 1978. He matriculated at Durban High School.

Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities

Before joining the government as a Minister, Mr Erwin was a Lecturer in the Department of Economics at University of Natal from 1971 to 1978 and he was a visiting Lecturer at Centre of Southern African Studies at the University of York from 1974 to 1975 and he served as a member of Institute of Industrial Education from 1973 to 1975.

Mr Erwin also served as a General Secretary of the Trade Union Advisory and Co-ordinating Council (TUACC) from 1977 to 1979; and as a General Secretary of the Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU) from 1979 to 1983. From 1983 to 1985 Mr Erwin served as Education Secretary of the Federation of South African Trade Unions (FOSATU) and Education Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) between 1986 and 1988.

He also served as National Education Officer for National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) from 1988 to 1993; as an Interim Executive member of African National Congress (ANC) Southern Natal region and between 1990 and 1991, he was a Branch Executive member of ANC Western Areas branch.

He was also a member of the Development and Reconstruction Committee of the National Peace Accord Trust and as a President of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from May 1996 to February 2000.

Source: Ministry of Public Enterprises