Government Government of South Africa Deputy Minister of Correctional Services South Africa

Current Positions

    * Deputy Minister for Correctional Services of the Republic of South Africa since 11 May 2009.
    * Secretary of the ANC Havana City Branch since 2001.
    * Member of the ANC Women's League Disciplinary Committee in Gauteng Province since 2004.


Academic Qualifications

    * Completed her high school education at the Morris Isaacson High School in Soweto (1972).
    * Bachelor of Arts in Social Work at the University of Zululand (1976).
    * Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology from the University of Natal (1978).
    * Masters Degree in Psychology from the University of Natal (1981).


Career/Memberships/Positions/Other Activities

    * Member of the South African Students' Organisation (SASO) (1973 to 1976).
    * Served in the Inter University Executive Committee under Students' Christian Movement (SCM) (1974 - 1977).
    * Served in the Academic Staff Association at the University of Zululand (1984 to 1990).
    * Volunteer Trainer on Women and Development at Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre (1990 to 1994).
    * A committee member of INROE, a South African working committee facilitating the training of South Africans as counsellors in London (1991 to 1993).
    * Board member of the Human Rights Foundation (1993 to 1994).
    * Served in the Goldstone Commission Committee (1993 to 1994).
    * Board member of the National Women's Resource Centre (1993 to 1995).
    * Served as a Secretary within the Task Force of the Children's Rights Committee (1994).
    * Party Observer during first and second national democratic elections in South Africa (1994 and 1999).
    * Board member for South African Prisoner's Organisation for Human Rights (1994 to 1995).
    * Served in the National Children's Rights Commission (NCRC) Action Committee Against Violence (1991 to 1995).
    * Founder and board member of the National Children and Violence Trust since 1995.
    * Board member of National Peace Accord Trust (1995 to 2003).
    * Trustee of Youth Alive Ministries (1997 to 1999).
    * Council member of the University of Zululand since 1997.
    * Chairperson of FAZE 2 - Anti-Racism since 2003.
    * Chairperson of the University of Zululand Council since 2005.
    * Chairperson of Transparency International in South Africa since 2005.

Membership to Professional Organisations

    * Member of Psychological Association of Southern Africa (PASA) (1981 to 1997).
    * Member of institute of Clinical Psychology (1981 to 1995).
    * Member of International Society for Adolescent Psychiatry (1987 to 1990).
    * Member of International Society of Medicine and Law (1988 to 1990).
    * Member of Organisation for Appropriate Social Services in South Africa (OASSSA) (1988 to 1991).
    * Member of South African Black Social Workers Association (SABSWA) (1976 to 1999).

Employment History:

    * Internship at Midlands Provincial Hospital and Natal University in the area of Clinical Psychology (1980).
    * Clinical Psychologist / Lecturer at Midlands Hospital (1981).
    * Senior Lecturer at the University of Zululand (1984 to 1990).
    * Senior Lecturer / Researcher at the University of Witwatersrand (1990 to 1995).
    * National Director for Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the Department of Health (1995).
    * Commissioner for Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) (1995 to 2001).
    * Chairperson of the Reparations and Rehabilitation Committee (1995 to 2001).
    * Truth and Reconciliation Specialist in the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (2004 to 2005).
    * Attended various international and South African Conferences.

Community Service and Actions of Conscience

    * Campaigned against apartheid under South African Students' Organisation (SASO) and Students' Christian Movement (SCM) as its President. (1970's and 1980's).
    * Member of Detainees Support Groups.
    * Member of the Central Committee which organised the biggest rally at the University of Zululand celebrating the release of Nelson Mandela (1990).
    * Member of the ANC Branch Executive Committee in Diepsloot (1991 to 1994).
    * Served in the interim ANC Branch Executive Committee in Sandton (1995 to 1999).
    * Deputy Chairperson of the ANC Branch Executive Committee in Sandton (1999 to 2000).
    * Chairperson of the ANC Zonal, comprising of Alexander, Sandton and Johannesburg East (1999 to 2000).


Research and Publications

    * Psychotherapy in the university setting: A clinical psychological case report. Univerity of Zululand Journal of Psychology 1, 35 - 46 (1986).
    * Towards an effectiveness of psychotherapy in the Third World Context. University of Zululand (1985).
    * Violent Oppression: Implications for Mental Health Priorities in South Africa - International Journal of Medicine and Law Vol.(i) 1/2 pp.193 - 203 (1994).
    * Mental Health of Women Political Repatriates - Women and Therapy. Vol. 15(2) pp 101 - 116 by The Haworth Press, inc. New York (1994).
    * Issues in the classification of Mental Illnesses within changing social relations - International Journal of Medicine and Law Vol. (ii) No.1/2 1992 pp 137 - 145. (1992)
    * A phenomenological analysis of African adolescents' meaning of dagga use within changing social relations. International Journal of Medicine and Law, 8 (2), 149 - 156. (1988).

Source: GCIS