Jessie Duarte
| Jessie Duarte | |
|---|---|
| Deputy Secretary General of the African National Congress | |
|
Assumed office December 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Thandi Modise |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jessie Yasmin Duarte 19 September 1953 |
| Nationality | South African |
| Political party | African National Congress |
Jessie Yasmin Duarte (born 19 September 1953) is a South African politician and deputy secretary-general of the African National Congress. A long time anti-apartheid activist, she has served variously as a special assistant to Nelson Mandela, a member of the provincial cabinet (MEC) for Gauteng, as ambassador to Mozambique and as spokesperson for the ANC, before assuming her current post as Deputy Secretary-General of the ANC in 2012.
In 2009 she featured in the news for two recorded diatribes launched against journalists Philani Nombembe of The Sunday Times[1] and John Humphrys of BBC Radio.[2]
In 2014, Duarte publicly compared Israel's alleged actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to that of Nazi Germany.[3] This drew strong rebukes from Jewish groups within South Africa.[4]