Personal

• Date of Birth: 10 May 1954

Current Positions

• Minister since May 2019
• Member of the National Working Committee of the ANC since 2002
• Member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC since 1997
• Member of Parliament since 1994

Previous Positions

Government

• Chairperson of Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (1994 – 1996)
• Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (1996 – 2001)
• Minister of Intelligence (2001 – 2004)
• Minister of Housing (2004 – 2009)
• Minister of Defence and Military Veterans (2009 – 2012)
• Minister for the Public Service and Administration (2012 – 2014)
• Minister of Human Settlements (2014 – 2018)
• Minister of International Relations and Corporation since February (2018-2019)

Political

• Member of the Transitional Executive Council
• Member of the African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee – 1997 to present
• Member of the ANC National Working Committee – 2002 to present
• Chairperson: NEC Security Subcommittee (2001 – 2009)
• Chairperson: NEC STC Subcommittee (2009 – current)
• Board Member: Nelson Mandela Foundation (2001 – 2007)

Academic Qualifications

• Completed GCE Cambridge University Ordinary Level at St Michael's School, Swaziland (1971)
• Completed GCE Advanced Level at Waterford Kamhlaba, Swaziland (1973)
• BA degree and Diploma in Education, University of Swaziland (1980)
• BA Hons, History, University of Swaziland (1981)
• MA in History, Centre for Southern African Studies, University of York (1983 – 1984) – Oppenheimer Scholarship Fund
• M Phil, Centre for Southern African Studies, University of York (1989)
• Upgraded to D Phil (1989)
• Doctoral Thesis: “Women, Work and Liberation Struggle in South Africa”

Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities

Political

• Member of Masupatsela of the ANC
• Member of the Black Consciousness Movement (1970 – 1972)
• ANC Underground Operative (1973 – )
• Founder of Roma Student Movement (Lumumba) (1976)
• Detained without trial for political activities in solitary confinement (1976 – 1977).
• Exile in Mozambique (1977)
• Military training in USSR (1977 – 1979) – Received highest award of USSR Defence Force (Award of the Red Star)
• Return to forward areas – Swaziland as underground operative (1980)
• Returned to South Africa as part of the advance team to prepare for negotiations as PA to Head of Delegation (1990)
• Administrator of Intelligence, ANC Department of Intelligence and Security (1990 – 1991)
• Chief Administrator for the ANC at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA I and CODESA II) (1991 – 1992
• Head of Sub-Council on Intelligence, Transitional Executive Council (Interim Government) (1994)
• Chairperson of the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on intelligence (1995 – 1996), piloting and introducing legislation on intelligence oversight
• Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (1996). Responsible for establishment of Film and Publication Board and legislation. Responsible for first Refugees Bill. Responsible for legislative requirement for identification for elections
• Established an NGO, Votani Mawethu, to assist in providing free photos for identity documents for voters. Greatest success is provision of 1.6 million identity documents ahead of elections (1999)
• Chairperson of the African Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (AMCHUD) (2005 – 2007)
• Member of the United Nations Eminent Persons Panel: Commission on the Legal Empowerment of the Poor (2007 – 2009)
• Chairperson of the Board of Slumdwellers International (2007 – current)
• Chairperson: NWC Task Team on legal challenges facing the ANC President, Mr J Zuma (2008 – 2009)

Military

• Joined Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and worked for underground structures of the ANC while in exile (1977 – 1978)
• Military training, specialising in Intelligence (1977 – 1979)

Academic

• Lecturer, Department of History, University of Swaziland (1982)
• Awarded Leadership Scholarship to conclude studies at United Nations (UN), Geneva
• As part of tenure at UN University in Geneva, established police management course and coursework for MK soldiers to prepare for management positions in regular police force. Programme was adopted and resides under PDM at the University of Witwatersrand.
• Established the Govan Mbeki Research Fellowship at the University of Fort Hare. Became Senior Research Fellow and Head of Institution, supervising 10 Master’s degree students (1992)
• Research Centre oversaw the publication of two books of Govan Mbeki and Jack Simons
• Chancellor of the Mangosuthu University of Technology since 2014

Other

• Sub-editor, “The Times of Swaziland”, Mbabane, Swaziland (1983)
• Chief Examiner, History for Junior Certificate Examinations Syndicate in Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (1985 – 1987)
• Consultant of the National Children's Rights Committee, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) (1992)
• Established a Policing Management Course at PDM, University of the Witwatersrand (1993)
• Chairperson, African Ministerial Commission on Housing and Urban Development (2005 – 2008)
• President of the Urban Poor Fund International (2008 – )
• Member of the UN Eminent Persons on Human Settlements (2004 – 2009)
• Chairperson Spier I (2002) and Spier II (2003) – Negotiations of the Middle East Peace Process

Awards/decorations/presentations/bursaries

• Housing Foundation Award, 2005
• International Housing Institute Award, 2007
• Black Business Quarterly Award, 2007

Publications

• “Women at Work and Liberation Struggle in the 1980s” in R Cohen (ed), Themes in the twentieth century South Africa, Oxford University Press (1991)
• “South African Women in Agricultural Sector” (pamphlet) York University (1990)
• “Women Working Conditions in South Africa” South African Situation Analysis, National Children's Rights Committee, UNESCO (1992)
• “Women and Policing” (article) (1993).