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 It is the product of almost two decades of research and includes analyses, chronologies, historical documents, and interviews from the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

Skweyiya, Zola Sidney Themba

Click here for list of interviews

Skweyiya was born on 14 April 1942. He is married. He is a keen follower and supporter of sport, especially soccer, rugby and cricket.

Current Positions : -

Ø. Minister of Social Development of the Republic of South Africa since 17 June 1999.

Ø. Member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the African National Congress (ANC).

Ø. Patron in Chief for Volunteer South Africa.

Ø. Constituency Office: Kuilsrivier.

Academic Qualifications : -

Ø. Started school in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth and later continued at Retreat, Cape Town.

Ø. Obtained Junior and Senior certificates at Lovedale High School, Alice.

Ø. LLD, University of Leipzig (1978).

Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities : -

Ø. Participated in school boycotts against the introduction of Bantu education.

Ø. Joined the ANC (1956).

Ø. Active member of the ANC at Fort Hare.

Ø. Mobilised support among the people for Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) when Nelson Mandela went overseas to seek military training facilities for the ANC.

Ø. Left South Africa for military training.

Ø. Worked for the ANC in various offices and capacities.

Ø. Set up the ANC Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ø. Represented the ANC at the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) (1982 - 1985).

Ø. Recalled to Lusaka to set up the ANC Legal and Constitutional Department (1985).

Ø. Chairperson of the ANC Constitution Committee.

Ø. Represented the ANC at the annual United Nations Commission for Human Rights (1984 - 1993).

Ø. Returned from exile (1990).

Ø. Member of the ANC Negotiations Commission.

Ø. Co-ordinator of the ANC Civil Service Unit.

Ø. Assisted in setting up the Centre for Development Studies at the University of the Western Cape and the South African Legal Defence Fund.

Ø. Serves on the Board of Trustees of the National Commission for the Rights of Children.

Ø. Chairperson to the United Nations Commission for Social Development.

Ø. Minister of the Public Service and Administration of the Republic South Africa (1994 - 1999).

Source: Ministry of Social 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.