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 It is the product of almost two decades of research and includes analyses, chronologies, historical documents, and interviews from the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

Kasrils, Ronald (Ronnie)

Kasrils was born in 1938.  He is married and his pastimes are gardening, swimming, watching sport, reading and writing, and playing golf whenever he can snatch the time for nine holes!

He matriculated at King Edward VII High School in Johannesburg and subsequently completed various military courses in the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) to rank of Brigadier.

His current positions are: -

Ø. Minister of Intelligence of the Republic of South Africa since 29 April 2004.

Ø. Member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) since 1987.

Ø. Serve on the Central Committee of the South African Communist Party (SACP) since December 1986.

Career/Positions/Memberships/Other Activities : -

Ø. Film script writer, Johannesburg (1958 - 1960).

Ø. TV and film director for Lever Brother's advertising division, Durban (1960 - 1962).

Ø. Joined the ANC (1960).

Ø. Secretary of ANC-aligned Congress of Democrats in Natal (1961).

Ø. Founder member of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) as member of Natal Regional Command (1961).

Ø. Commander of Natal Regional Command (1963).

Ø. Left South Africa for Odessa where he completed a general military course and specialist course in military engineering (1963).

Ø. Served ANC for 27 years, based in London, Luanda, Maputo, Swaziland, Botswana and Lusaka.

Ø. Member of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK)'s High Command.

Ø. Chief of MK Intelligence after completing a specialist course in this regard to the rank of Brigadier in the then USSR (1983).

Ø. Served on ANC's Politico-Military Council (1985 - 1989).

Ø. Worked underground for the ANC in South Africa on Operation Vula (1990 - 1991).

Ø. Headed the ANC's Campaign Section (1991 - 1994).

Ø. Member of the Transitional Executive Council's (TEC) Sub-Council on Defence (1994).

Ø. Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of South Africa (24 June 1994 - 16 June 1999).

Ø. Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry of the Republic of South Africa (16 June 1999 - 28 April 2004).

Research and Publications:

Ø. He has written several books on Bertrand Russel, poetry, articles on Politics, Defence, Water and Forestry issues.

Ø. Armed and Dangerous, an autobiography (1993), updated and re-published in 1998 and 2004.

Source: Ministry of Intelligence

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