Positions last held in government

Ms Brigitte Sylvia Mabandla was Minister of Public Enterprise in the Republic of South Africa from 25 September 2008 until 10 May 2009.

Prior to her appointment as minister of Public Enterprises, she served as Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology from 18 April 1995 until 25 February 2003; as Minister of Housing from 26 February 2003 until 28 April 2004 and as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development of the Republic of South Africa from 29 April 2004 until 25 September 2008.

She became a Member of Parliament in 1994.

Academic Qualifications

Ms Mabandla studied Law and she holds LLB degree from the University of Zambia 1979.

Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities

Ms Mabandla was Youth Co-ordinator of the Institute of Race Relations in Durban and she initiated the concept of open and winter school, thus enabling children from all racial groups to interact and participated in educational programmes from 1974 until 1975.

She was lecturer of Law and English at the Botswana Polytechnic frm 1981 until 1983 and she also lectured Commercial Law at the Botswana Institute of Administration and Commerce from 1983 from 1986. She was Legal Advisor of the ANC Lusaka Legal and Constitutional Affairs Department from 1986 until 1990.

Ms Mabandla was a Member of the ANC's Constitutional Committee and part of negotiating team for the period 1990 until 1994. She was member of National Committee for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) and Convenor of the NCRC Legal Committee which submitted the clause on children's rights. She was also founder and Co-ordinator of research projects on women's and children's rights at the Community Law Centre of the University of the Western Cape.

Ms Mabandla co-ordinated gender project on the promotion of women's rights and research on women's constitutional rights; and worked closely with Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and experts in human rights, minority rights, childrens' rights, disabled people's rights and in particular women's rights.

She became Member of National Executive Council (NEC)of African National Congress (ANC) in December 2007.

Source: Ministry of Public Enterprise