Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula

Nosiviwe Mapisa - Nqakula ( born November 13, 1956) is a South African politician of the African National Congress ( ANC ) and, since June 2012 Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.

Life

Studies, teacher and functionary of the ANC

After visiting the Mount Arthur High School Nosiviwe Mapisa - Nqakula completed a teaching degree for primary school at the College of Bensonvale Teacher Training and graduated with a diploma. Later she completed a correspondence course in professional project management at the Canadian University Services Overseas.

In 1978, she was first a teacher at the Bensonvale Junior Secondary School and then moved in 1979 as a teacher at the teacher training school St Matthews Teacher's Training College, before it was 1981-1982 social worker at the Timothy target project. Between 1982 and 1984 she worked as Assistant Director of Mazazane Open School, one carried by the South African Institute of Race Relations Project.

In 1984 she was commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), leader of a study group that examined the desertion by members of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military arm of the ANC, to Angola. In the same year took Mapisa - Nqakula part in a military training in Angola and went in 1985 in the Soviet Union, where she worked for further training as a member of the political and military structures. She also attended the 1985 Seminar for Equality Development and Peace, Nairobi, and the second ANC Consultative seminar in Kabwe. Subsequently, she worked from 1986 to 1988 in political- military structures of the ANC.

After that she was from 1988 to 1990 a representative of the women's section of the ANC in Angola and in the Pan-African Women's Organisation. After her return, she was a member of the National Executive Committee in 1990 and the ANC was between 1991 and 1993 National organizer of the Women's League of the ANC.

MP and Minister

Mapisa - Nqakula, who was from 1993 to 1995 Secretary General of the ANC Women's League, was first elected in 1994 as a candidate of the ANC as a member of the National Assembly and heard this since participated. During this time she was also a member of the Constituent Assembly between 1994 and 1996.

During her long parliamentary membership served on the Joint Standing Committees for Defence and Intelligence Services. Since 2001 she has been deputy chairman of the faction of the ANC in the National Assembly and was next between 2001 and 2002 Chief Whip of the ANC.

In 2002 her appointment as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Interior. On April 28, 2004, she was the successor to the long-time interior minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi and held this office for five years until 11 May 2009. Since 2004, she is also president of the Women's League of the ANC.

Following them was in May 2009 after the election of Jacob Zuma as president of South Africa Minister of the prison in the Cabinet Zuma, while the former Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini -Zuma was her successor as Minister of the Interior.

On 12 June 2012, Nosiviwe Mapisa - Nqakula new Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu in place of, which in turn was Minister for the Public Service and Administration.