Angie Motshekga

Matsie Angelina "Angie" Motshekga (born 19 June 1955) is a South African politician and educator serving as the Minister of Basic Education since May 2009. She was previously a Member of the Executive Council in the Gauteng provincial government. Motshekga is a member of the African National Congress. She is a former president of the party's women's league.

The Honourable

Angie Motshekga

MP
Motshekga in January 2019
Minister of Basic Education
Assumed office
11 May 2009
PresidentJacob Zuma
Cyril Ramaphosa
DeputyEnver Surty
Reginah Mhaule
Preceded byPost established
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Assumed office
6 May 2009
Personal details
Born (1955-06-19) 19 June 1955
Soweto, Transvaal Province, South Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Spouse(s)Mathole Motshekga
Alma materUniversity of the North BA (Edu)
University of the Witwatersrand BEd, (MEd)
ProfessionPolitician

Early life and teaching career

Motshekga was born on 19 June 1955 in Soweto, Transvaal Province.[1] She received her primary school education from different schools in Soweto. She matriculated from a boarding school in Matatiele.[1] Motshekga studied at the University of the North, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education. From the University of the Witwatersrand, Motshekga obtained a Bachelor of Educational Science degree and a master's degree.[2]

In 1981, Motshekga was employed as a teacher at Orlando High School. She worked at the school until 1983, when she resigned following her appointment as a lecturer at the Soweto College of Education. Motshekga became a lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1985. She lectured at the university until 1994.[2]

Political career

During the 1980s, Motshekga was a member of the Soweto Education Crisis Committee that later formed part of the National Education Coordinating Committee.[1] She held membership of the United Democratic Front. She was also a member of the National Education Union of South Africa.[1] Motshekga was active in the Pimville Civic Association.[2]

Motshekga was the National Convenor of Teacher Unity talks that led to the formation of South African Democratic Teachers Union.[1] She was the regional chair of the African National Congress Women's League in the party's former Kyalami region.[1] From 1994 to 1997, she worked as a director in the office of the presidency. She was elected Deputy Provincial Secretary of the ANCWL in 1997.[2]

Gauteng provincial government

After the 1999 general election, Motshekga was sworn in as a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. She was named the chairperson of the legislature's education committee. In 2000, premier Mbhazima Shilowa appointed her to the Social Development portfolio of the Executive Council. After the 2004 general election, Motshekga returned to the legislature for her second term. Shilowa moved her to the Education portfolio.[2]

Motshekga was elected the national president of the ANC women's league in 2008. She defeated the league's secretary-general Bathabile Dlamini after receiving 1,826 votes.[3]

National government

Motshekga was elected to the National Assembly in April 2009. Newly elected president Jacob Zuma unbundled the Education portfolio into two new, separate ministries. Motshekga was appointed Minister of Basic Education.[4] She took office on 11 May 2009. During her first term, textbooks were not delivered to impoverished Limpopo schools between December 2011 and June 2012.[5] She faced calls to resign or be removed, but she remained in the position.[6]

Following the 2014 general election, Zuma retained Motshekga in her position.[7] Bathabile Dlamini unseated her as women's league president in August 2015.[8] In 2017, she ran for ANC national president under the women's league banner without asking for permission.[9] The league criticised Motshekga and later endorsed Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for the ANC presidency.[10]

Zuma resigned as South African president in February 2018 and deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa was designated as his successor. Ramaphosa kept Motshekga in her position.[11][12] In 2019, she became the longest-serving education minister in South African history.[13] She was re-elected as an MP in that year's general election. She remained as minister of basic education.[14][15]

Personal life

Motshekga is married to former Gauteng premier and former ANC chief whip, Mathole Motshekga. They have children and grandchildren.[16]

References
  1. "Mrs Matsie Angelina Motshekga". Parliament of South Africa. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  2. "Matsie Angelina Motshekga, Ms". Government of South Africa. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  3. "Women's League president elected". IOL News. 5 July 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  4. "South Africa Cabinet Members 2009 to 2010". South African History Online. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  5. Chisholm, Linda (September 2013). "Understanding the Limpopo textbook saga". HSRC. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  6. Mutasa, Haru (17 July 2020). "South Africa's textbook scandal". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  7. "Complete list of cabinet ministers". eNCA. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  8. "Bathabile Dlamini takes ANC Women's League presidency". eNCA. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  9. "'Stop trying to rule from the grave' ANCWL tells Motshekga". eNCA. 27 August 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  10. Bendile, Dineo (15 September 2017). "Motshekga gives league a headache". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  11. "IN FULL l Ramaphosa hires and fires - read his Cabinet reshuffle speech". TimesLIVE. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  12. "Who is in and who is out: Ramaphosa's Cabinet reshuffle". News24. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  13. Fengu, Msindisi (6 January 2019). "Newsmaker: Angie believes her legacy is a stable curriculum". News24. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  14. Nicolson, Greg (29 May 2019). "Ramaphosa cuts Cabinet from 36 to 28 ministers, half of whom are women". The Daily Maverick. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  15. Hunter, Qaanitah (30 May 2019). "Who's in and who's out of SA's 2019 cabinet". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  16. Mothombeni, Aubrey (8 May 2018). "Angie Motshekga's son in fight over lavish property". Sunday World. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
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