Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu

**Hendrietta Ipeleng Bogopane-Zulu** (born 11 March 1971) be South African politician den activist wey currently dey serve as Deputy Minister of Social Development since 26 May 2014. She represent African National Congress (ANC) for National Assembly from 1999 go 2019.

Bogopane-Zulu born blind and she dey fight for disability rights. Before dem give am her current position, she serve as Deputy Minister for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities from 2011 to 2014, plus she be Deputy Minister of Public Works from 2009 to 2011. Her time for dat Public Works job meet Nkandlagate matter, so she dey part of di investigations wey happen around dat time.

## Early life den activism
Bogopane-Zulu born on 11 March 1971, and she grow up for rural area wey dem dey call Bophuthatswana (wey now be part of North West Province). She born blind, but she do some operations as kiddie, wey make her partially blind later. She get plenty school qualifications — BTech for Public Relations from Technikon Pretoria, BBA from Central University of Nicaragua, plus MBA from Azteca University.

She enter politics through her work as social activist, especially inside disability movement. She help start Disabled Youth South Africa, wey be de youth wing under Disabled People South Africa. From 1996 to 1999, she be de first national coordinator for de Disabled Women's Development Programme under de national Department of Public Service and Administration. During dat time, she also represent people wey get disabilities for de National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) plus de South African Qualifications Authority. She help write de parts wey talk about disability for inside de Employment Equity Act of 1998.

## Political career

### National Assembly backbenches: 1999–2009
Insyd de 1999 general election, Bogopane-Zulu enter National Assembly, wey be de lower house inside South African Parliament. She represent African National Congress (ANC) – she already dey part of ANC’s local branch for Tshwane East – but ein nomination enter ANC list through Disabled People South Africa wey choose five representatives.

During ein first term insyd de National Assembly, she chair de Parliament Joint Monitoring Committee for Children, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. Then for her second term wey start after de 2004 elections, she join de Portfolio Committee on Social Development. Inside dat same period, she dey active for World Blind Union, den she serve as member of de subcommittee wey focus on constitutional review matters.

### Public Works: 2009–2011
Na dem re-elect Bogopane-Zulu to ein parliamentary seat insyd de April 2009 general election, den on 10 May, na newly elected Presido Jacob Zuma appoint am as Deputy Minister of Public Works under Minister Geoff Doidge. She be de first visually impaired woman to be appointed as a minister anaa deputy minister, wey na she be one of only two disabled ministers den deputy ministers under Zuma ein cabinet, na de oda be Michael Masutha.

#### Nkandla security upgrades
While Bogopane-Zulu still dey serve inside de Public Works Ministry, de Department of Public Works approve some controversial security upgrades for President Zuma ein Nkandla house. Dem probe de project for plenty years after, even long after Bogopane-Zulu don leave dat position, and both she plus Minister Geoff Doidge get mention for de investigations. Insyd December 2013, Thulas Nxesi wey replace Doidge as minister, present de inter-ministerial report about de Nkandla upgrades. De report clear Zuma say he no do anything wrong, but recommend say dem for investigate Doidge and Bogopane-Zulu more for possible misconduct. Bogopane-Zulu deny say she do anything bad and talk say dem no really consult her well during de investigation.

By dat time, Mail & Guardian get access to one leaked copy of de provisional report wey relate to one parallel investigation, dis one na de one wey Public Protector Thuli Madonsela carry out. As Mail & Guardian talk, Madonsela ein report indicate say Bogopane-Zulu sideline from de Nkandla project afta she ask question insyd de expenses plus contracts matter. When Madonsela ein final report come out insyd March 2014, e show say Bogopane-Zulu join discussions insyd de controversial swimming pool wey dey Nkandla; she bin support make dem install swimming pool for "developmental" reasons, say local pikin fit take swimming lessons insyd am. Madonsela conclude say e no get evidence to back de claim say Doidge plus Bogopane-Zulu interfere insyd de appointment of contractors for de project. But President Zuma later talk something wey no follow dat line, he align ein talk plus Nxesi ein investigation and claim say further investigations show say Doidge plus Bogopane-Zulu fit exert "undue interference... insyd de appointment of certain contractors, suppliers or service providers".

### Women, Children and Persons with Disability: 2011–2014
On 24 October 2011, President Zuma announce reshuffle wey Bogopane-Zulu take get appointment as Deputy Minister for Women, Children plus Persons plus Disabilities insyd Minister Lulu Xingwana ein office. Later on, she talk say ein pet projects wey dey ministry relate to accessibility, poverty plus HIV/AIDS.

### Social Development: 2014–present
Afta de general election wey happen insyd May 2014, Bogopane-Zulu get re-election to ein fourth term insyd de National Assembly den Zuma appoint am as Deputy Minister of Social Development, wey she serve insyd Minister Bathabile Dlamini ein office. Dlamini plus Bogopane-Zulu get tense relationship plus Parliament, den dem face accusations say dem dey absent from parliamentary committee meetings.

Zuma ein successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa, retain am insyd ein deputy ministerial position under Ministers Susan Shabangu plus Lindiwe Zulu. But insyd de 2019 general election, Bogopane-Zulu rank number 143 insyd ANC ein party list den she no gain re-election to ein parliamentary seat. So Ramaphosa re-appoint am through one constitutional provision wey permit two deputy ministers to get appointment from outside de National Assembly.

#### Programmes den policies
Insyd 2016, when she dey speak insyd United Nations (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs on behalf of one African Union bureau, Bogopane-Zulu call for harm-reduction approach wey go tackle substance abuse. Dis harm-reduction approach later enter South African policy through de government's drug master plan. Then for 2020, she speak again for UN den she repeat ein call for harm reduction plus one "human rights-based" approach, wey she talk say de global war on drugs fail den say make drug addiction decriminalise.

Bogopane-Zulu sana enter press coverage for ein views about gender-based violence, wey attract plenty public attention insyd 2019 plus 2020 afta de murder of Uyinene Mrwetyana. For December 2019, when she deliver keynote address insyd one UN-sponsored violence-prevention conference for Johannesburg, she argue say women no be only "victims" but dem be "contributors" to gender-based violence too. She explain say women dey "raise angry boys", like when single mommies deny poppies access to demma sons. For one Women's Month event insyd August 2020, she talk say cancer dey contribute to gender-based violence, based on how e dey affect sexual organs. As Mail & Guardian report am, she use de example of cervical cancer, talk say, "when women dey pain, dey go through treatment, dem no fit perform demma marital duties to provide sex to demma partners, dem go face abuse, ill-treatment." She later post series of Tweets to explain dis view.In response, Sonke Gender Justice talk say stress wey come from any disease fit cause strain insyd marriage, but dem argue say de causes of gender-based violence dey rooted insyd power imbalances wey patriarchy, gender-based inequalities plus discrimination bring. Dem talk say to link gender-based violence to cancer go ignore all dis root causes den e go undermine de effort wey people dey make to fight gender-based violence insyd society.Insyd de COVID-19 pandemic wey hit South Africa, Bogopane-Zulu get appointment to lead one "war room" insyd de Department of Social Development wey dem task make e ensure say social grants dey reach people. She catch COVID-19 herself insyd July 2020.

#### Nepotism scandal
For January 2020, City Press come get one audio recording wey show one 2016 conversation between Bogopane-Zulu plus Zwidofhela Mafoko, wey be administrative clerk insyd ein office that time plus also fiancé to ein niece. For de recording, Bogopane-Zulu dey tell Mafoko say she go request make dem take am go four international trips, so e fit use de travel allowance wey dey follow am to pay ein niece ein lobolo. People see de arrangement as nepotism, but Bogopane-Zulu talk say e no be illegal. She explain say:I no misuse any public funds; I no advise or motivate make anybody get more than wetin de public service prescribe... Even insyd de recording, na de mommie insyd me dey try help one young South African wey dey try do wetin right... I use wetin dey available try help, without cross any boundary. I talk: 'Wetey I fit do to help?' I still talk say I be person wey dey respect South African laws. But helping na who I be. When people approach me for help, I help. When dem ask me for advice, if I fit give am, I give am. E pain me say something wey be private like dat go enter newspaper.

## Honours
Insyd November 2009, Bogopane-Zulu get honour for de Top Women Awards wey happen insyd Johannesburg, dem name am as de Top Woman insyd de Public Sector. For de work wey she dey do as disability activist, she receive de Henry Viscardi Achievement Award insyd 2017.

## Ein life matter
Bogopane dey married plus she get three daughters, two of dem dey visually impaired too. She born ein first pikin when she still be teenager. Insyd January 2014, she dey hospital for ten days afta she collapse insyd ein house.

During Bogopane-Zulu ein time insyd de Ministry of Public Works, ein husband Simon Zulu dey work as one of ein aides — first as administrative assistant plus later as personal assistant. Insyd November 2010, Sunday Independent report say Zulu dey face investigation for sexual harassment wey come afta one junior staff member under Bogopane-Zulu make complaint. As dem report am, de complainant talk say Zulu send am salacious text messages plus threaten say he go sack am if she no gree get sex plus am. De paper sana report say de complaint include allegation say Bogopane-Zulu dey aware of de matter insyd July 2010, but she advise de woman say make she "just be nice to him plus pretend say nothing dey wrong" while she dey record all de interactions wey she get plus Zulu.

## References

## External links

* Ms Hendrietta Ipeleng Bogopane-Zulu at People's Assembly
* 2018 audio interview with Womanity