Date of death: 16 December 2009
Positions last held in government
Dr Mantombazana Tshabalala-Msimang was a Minister in the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa from 26 September 2008 to May 2009. She was Member of Parliament from 1994 until 2009.
Prior to her appointment as minister in the presidency she served as a Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic South Africa from July 1996 to June 1999; Minister of Health from 1999 to 2008. She was also a Chairperson of the Social Sector Cluster of South African Cabinet Committee; a Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Health, National Assembly from 1994 to June 1996 and She was sworn in as Acting President of the Republic of South Africa by the Constitutional Court, to run the country in the absence of the President and the Deputy President along with other three ministers until the elections in 2003.
Academic Qualifications
Dr Tshabalala-Msimang matriculated at Inanda Seminary in 1959; thereafter she went on to obtain a BA degree from University of Fort Hare 1961; a Medical degree from First Leningrad Medical Institute in Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) 1969 a Masters degree in Public Health from University of Antwerp, Belgium 1980 and a Diploma in Obsterics and Gynaecology from University of Dar es Salaam Medical School in Tanzania 1972.
She also attended a course in Health Care Systems Planning, Financing and Management for sixteen weeks at a University of Sussex in United Kingdom (UK) in 1990; a course in Improving the Management of Primary Health Care Services Medex course from University of Hawaii 1991; and a course in Public Administration from Civil Service College, Sunningdale in UK 1992.
Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities
Dr Tshabalala-Msimang worked as Registrar, Obsterics and Gynaecology at Muhumbili Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; a Medical Superintendent responsible for 10 satellite clinics at the Lobatse Hospital in Botswana; head of Health Training Programme for National Liberation Movements in the Organisation of African Unity / United Nations Development Programme at Morogoro in Tanzania from 1976 to 1979.
She also worked as a Deputy Secretary in charge of human resource development and deployment for the African National Congress (ANC), Department of Health, Tanzania/ Zambia from 1979 to 1990. She Convened the First International Conference on Health and apartheid under the auspices of World Health Organisation in 1980 and she held several positions in the National Progressive Primary Health Care Network in Durban from 1991 to 1994.
She was a Co-ordinator of the ANC's Health Plan (Section on Women's Health) from 1991 to 1994; a Board member of the Mohammed Ghandi settlement Clinic Committee in Durban in 1990; and a Chairperson of the Natal Women Resource Centre Committee; a Member of the Africa and Middle East Regions Steering Committee of Parliamentarians for Population and Development from 1994.
She was also African Union (AU) goodwill Ambassador and Champion for Africa's Movement to improve Maternal Health and Promote Child Survival and Development in Africa, beyond 2015; and Coordinated establishment of the South African National AIDS Council in 2002.
She also Coordinated the development of the National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS and STs or TB plan on the Management Care and treatment of HIV/AIDS and STs from 2002 to 2005 and the review of Comprehensive plan of Management, Care Support and Treatment of HIV/AIDS and STs.
Dr Tshabalala-Msimang Coordinated Operational Plan for the comprehensive HIV and AIDS Management, Treatement Care and Support Adopted November 2003 and implemented April 2004. She also coordinated the Review of NSP 2000-2005 conducted in July/August 2006.
She coordinated the Review of SANAC 2002 and subsequent restructuring April 2006; Coordinated the Midterm review of comprehensive plan conducted in 2006/2007 and Coordinated the development of the South African Traditional Medicine Policy.
She was a Convener of National Youth Indaba on Health from 2004. She was a member of the Board of the Global Fund to fight HIV and AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis representing the Eastern and Southern Africa Constituency. She was also a Chair of Non-Aligned Movement of Health Ministers and Chairperson of SADC Health Sectoral Committee of Ministers.
She was also a Chairperson of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Afro Regional Commitee of Health Ministers; Vice-President of the 57th World Health Assembly; a CAMH3 Chairperson of the AU Ministers of Health; member of African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) and member of ANC Women's League National Executive Committee.
Research/Presentations/Awards/Decorations/Bursaries and Publications
Dr Tshabalala-Msimang Conducted research in various fields including a Survey on nutritional status of ANC children in Tanzania in 1981, Study of prevalence of chloroquinine-resistant malaria within the ANC communities in Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania in 1983, Mental Health Survey within the ANC communities in Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia in 1986 and Evaluation of Ghandi Settlement Clinic in Durban.
Published a National Directory of Community-Based Health Workers in 1992; a Directory of Community-Based Women's Organisations in Natal in 1993 and ANC Women's League submission to the Ad-Hoc Select Committee on Abortion and Sterilization (Act No. 2 of 1975).
Source: Ministry in Presidency
