About this site

This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. It is the product of almost two decades of research and includes analyses, chronologies, historical documents, and interviews from the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

Mabandla, Brigitte Sylvia

Click here for list of interviews

Ms Mabandla was born on 23 November 1948. She is married.

She is currently the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development of the Republic of South Africa since 29 April 2004.

She obtained an LLB degree from the University of Zambia (1979).

Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities : -

Ø. Youth Co-ordinator of the Institute of Race Relations, Durban.

Ø. Initiated concept of open and winter school, thus enabling children from all racial groups to interact and participate in educational programmes (1974 - 1975).

Ø. Lecturer of Law and English at the Botswana Polytechnic (1981 - 1983).

Ø. Lecturer of Commercial Law at the Botswana Institute of Administration and Commerce (1983 - 1986).

Ø. Legal Advisor of the ANC Lusaka Legal and Constitutional Affairs Department (1986 - 1990).

Ø. Member of the ANC's Constitutional Committee and negotiating team (1990 - 1994).

Ø. Founder Member of the National Committee for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) and Convenor of the NCRC Legal Committee which submitted the clause on children's rights.

Ø. 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.

Ø. Co-ordinated a gender project on the promotion of women's rights and research on women's constitutional rights.

Ø. Founder member of the Women's Coalition as a facilitator in the early stages of popularising the concept of a coalition.

Ø. 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.

Ø. Worked with the Global Network for the Advancement of Women's Human Rights, in preparation for the 1993 Vienna Conference on the United Nations (UN) Charter Collaboration with the UN Division for the Advancement of Women.

Ø. Undertook a 10-day study trip to study the UN Agenda for the Advancement of Women (1990).

Ø. Participated at the UN meeting of experts for the Development of a Global Human Rights Education Programme in Bratislava, Yugoslavia (1992).

Ø. Undertook educational tours to the following countries: Sweden, Canada, Germany, USA (1988 - 1993).

Ø. Member of the National Committee for the Rights of Children (NCRC).

Ø. Member of the Community-Based Development Programme (CBDP).

Ø. Member of the Grassroots Early Childhood Education Project.

Ø. Member of the Community Peace Foundation.

Ø. Former Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology of the Republic of South Africa (18 April 1995 - 25 February 2003).

Ø. Minister of Housing of the Republic South Africa (26 February 2003 - 28 April 2004).

Research and Publications : -

Ø. Contributed a few articles to local and international publications on human rights (1989 - 1993).

Source: Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development

This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. Return to theThis resource is hosted by the site.