Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

The Honourable Maite Nkoana-Mashabane MP
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 May 2009
President	Jacob Zuma
Deputy	Nomaindia Mfeketo Luwellyn Landers
Preceded by	Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (Foreign Affairs)
Minister for Local Government and Housing of Limpopo
In office 25 September 2004 – 9 May 2008
Premier	Sello Moloto
Preceded by	Thabo Nzima
Succeeded by	Siyabonga Quintin
Personal details
Born	Maite Emily Nkoana 30 September 1963 Magoebaskloof, South Africa
Political party	African National Congress
Spouse(s)	Norman Mashabane (Deceased 2007)
Religion	Christianity

Maite Emily Nkoana-Mashabane (born 30 September 1963^[1]) is a South African politician. She has been South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation since May 2009, taking over from Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. She is also a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress (ANC).

Nkoana-Mashabane was born in Makgobaskloof and raised in Ga-Makanye, Limpopo. During the apartheid era she was an activist in the United Democratic Front (UDF). Nkoana-Mashabane went on to be appointed as South African High Commissioner to India and Malaysia. Her former husband, Ambassador to Indonesia Norman Mashabane, died in a car accident in 2007.

On her return to South Africa, Nkoana-Mashabane became Limpopo's Local Government and Housing Member of the Executive Council, winning a wide following in the province for her efforts to root out corruption in low-cost housing programmes and her hands-on approach to rural housing.

In December 2012, Nkoana-Mashabane was re-elected as a member of the National Executive Committee of the ruling party at the party's 53rd National Conference, held in Mangaung, Free State Province. Her first election to the NEC was at the party's December 2007 National Conference, held in the city of Polokwane.

President Jacob Zuma appointed Nkoana-Mashabane as Minister of International Relations and Cooperation on 9 May 2009. Zuma subsequently disputed suggestions that this was an unusual appointment in light of Nkoana-Mashabane's apparent lack of foreign policy experience, saying that "the ANC knows the strengths of this comrade" and noting that she was a member of the ANC National Executive Committee.^[2]

During Nkoana-Mashabane's tenure as Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa became a member of the group of emerging economies under the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) banner. Nkoana-Mashabane was President of the 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Durban from 28 November to 11 December 2011.^[3]

See also

• Department of Foreign Affairs (South Africa)
• Foreign relations of South Africa

Sources

• Short biography and picture
• Statement by President Jacob Zuma on the appointment of the new Cabinet (2009-05-10)

References

1. "Profile: Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister". Dfa.gov.za. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
2. "Zuma defends choice", SAPA (News24), 10 May 2009.
3. BBC News, "Climate talks end with late deal"