Hlengiwe Mkhize

**Hlengiwe Buhle Mkhize** (6 September 1952 – 16 September 2021) be South African politician who serve as Minister of Higher Education den Training den Minister of Home Affairs under President Jacob Zuma. Member of de National Assembly den national executive since May 2009, she be Deputy Minister insyd de Presidency for Women, Youth den Persons plus Disabilities when she die insyd September 2021.

Mkhize train insyd clinical psychology den spend over a decade insyd academia at de University of Zululand den University of the Witwatersrand, until insyd 1995 she be appointed to de Truth den Reconciliation Commission. She chair de commission ein Reparations den Rehabilitation Committee. She go on serve as South African Ambassador to de Netherlands from 2005 to 2008 before she be elected to de National Assembly insyd de 2009 general election.

Between 2009 den 2017, Mkhize serve Zuma ein administration as deputy minister insyd four different portfolios: she be Deputy Minister of Correctional Services from 2009 to 2010, Deputy Minister of Higher Education den Training from 2010 to 2012, Deputy Minister of Economic Development from 2012 to 2014, den Deputy Minister of Telecommunications den Postal Services from 2014 to 2017. After dat, she be promoted to Zuma ein second-term cabinet, first as Minister of Home Affairs insyd 2017 den then as Minister of Higher Education den Training from 2017 to 2018. Insyd February 2018, she be sacked by Zuma ein successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa, den she retreat brief to de chairmanship of de Portfolio Committee on Communications. She be appointed to ein deputy ministerial position insyd de Presidency after de 2019 general election.

Long serving member of de African National Congress (ANC), Mkhize be de national treasurer of de ANC Women's League from July 2008 to August 2015. She be member of de party ein National Executive Committee from December 2017 until ein death.

## Early life den education
Dem born Mkhize on 6 September 1952. Insyd 1976, she complete Bachelor of Arts insyd psychology, social work, den sociology from de University of Zululand, wey she involve insyd student activism. She go on complete two postgraduate degrees at de University of Natal: Honours insyd psychology insyd 1978, den Master's insyd clinical psychology insyd 1981.

## Career insyd academia den activism
Mkhize spend over a decade insyd academia: she be senior lecturer at de University of Zululand from 1984 to 1990 den then senior lecturer at de University of the Witwatersrand from 1990 to 1995. During dat period, she sanso be visiting professor at de University of Illinois den University of Mississippi.

After she leave teaching, she hold series of varied posts insyd civil society den non-profit organisations. Most notably, from 1995 to 2003, she be commissioner of de Truth den Reconciliation Commission den de chairperson of de commission ein Reparations den Rehabilitation Committee. She sanso establish de National Children den Violence Trust, work as reparations officer insyd de President's Fund insyd de Ministry of Justice, chair de board of de South African branch of Transparency International, den chair de council of de University of Zululand. Mkhize sanso get various business interests; by de time wey she join government insyd 2009, she be director insyd 15 private companies, wey dey include Aerosud.

Through much of ein career insyd civil society, Mkhize sanso be active member of de African National Congress (ANC), de post-apartheid governing party. From 1991 to 2004, she serve continuously as member of de executive of ein local ANC branch – from 1991 to 1995 insyd Diepsloot; from 1995 to 2000 insyd Sandton; den from 2001 to 2004 insyd Havana City, Fourways, where she be branch secretary as well as chairperson of de local ANC Women's League.

### Ambassador to de Netherlands: 2005–2008
Insyd 2005, President Thabo Mbeki appoint Mkhize as South African Ambassador to de Netherlands, post wey she hold until 2008. For dis role, she chair de executive council of de Organisation for de Prohibition of Chemical Weapons during de early 2000s den be vice-president of de Member States at de International Criminal Court from 2006 to 2008.

### Treasurer of de ANC Women's League: 2008–2015
On 6 July 2008 insyd Bloemfontein, Mkhize be elected as National Treasurer of de ANC Women's League. She serve under Angie Motshekga, wey be elected as league president for de same elective conference. She remain insyd de treasury for single extended term, wey last until August 2015 due to delays insyd holding de next elective conference. She talk say she raise more than R40-million insyd funds for de ANC Women's League during ein tenure. Insyd 2015, she no stand for re-election, den she be succeeded as treasurer by Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

## Career insyd government

### Deputy Minister: 2009–2017
She be first elected to de National Assembly of South Africa insyd de April 2009 general election, represent de ANC. She serve insyd de assembly until ein death insyd 2021, gain re-election insyd 2014 den 2019. In addition, after de 2009 election, she be appointed as deputy minister under de cabinet of newly elect President Jacob Zuma, who name ein as Deputy Minister of Correctional Services under Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. Mkhize be viewed as political supporter den ally of Zuma.

Insyd reshuffle announced on 31 October 2010, Mkhize be appointed as Deputy Minister of Higher Education den Training, under Minister Blade Nzimande. She serve insyd dat position until 12 June 2012, when she be appointed to succeed Enoch Godongwana as Deputy Minister of Economic Development under Minister Ebrahim Patel. Finally, insyd ein fourth den final deputy ministerial position insyd Zuma ein administration, she be appointed as Deputy Minister of Telecommunications den Postal Services when dat portfolio be established after de 2014 general election.

### Minister of Home Affairs: 2017
Late on 30 March 2017, Zuma announce anoda cabinet reshuffle insyd which Mkhize be promoted to ein second-term cabinet, succeed Malusi Gigaba as Minister of Home Affairs. Early insyd ein tenure as minister, Mkhize attract media attention for defend ein predecessor ein controversial decision to grant South African citizenship to members of de Gupta family, a decision wey critics claim amount to unfair preferential treatment. Sanso controversial be Mkhize ein decision to place Mkuseli Apleni, de director-general of de Department of Home Affairs, on precautionary suspension. Apleni say dat she no get proper grounds for de suspension den threaten to sue de ministry, while de Select Committee on Social Services raise ein own doubts about de decision.

### Minister of Higher Education and Training: 2017–2018
Mkhize spend less than a year insyd de home affairs portfolio before, on 17 October 2017, she be appointed as Minister of Higher Education den Training, succeed ein former boss, Blade Nzimande. While she serve insyd dis office, Mkhize attend de ANC's 54th National Conference, at which she be elected to five-year term as member of de party ein National Executive Committee. By number of votes received, she be ranked 73rd of de committee ein 80 ordinary members.

### Portfolio committees: 2018–2019
On 26 February 2018, Mkhize be sacked from de cabinet by Cyril Ramaphosa, who recently succeed Zuma as president. She be replaced by Naledi Pandor den retreat to de backbenches of de National Assembly, where she spend several months as ordinary member of de Portfolio Committee on Basic Education den Portfolio Committee on International Relations den Cooperation. On 6 November 2018, she be elected to chair de Portfolio Committee on Communications after de former chairperson, Humphrey Maxegwana, become chair of de Joint Committee on Ethics den Members' Interest. She remain insyd de chair until after de May 2019 general election.

### Deputy Minister insyd de Presidency: 2019–2021
Pursuant to de 2019 general election, Ramaphosa appoint Mkhize as Deputy Minister insyd de Presidency for Women, Youth den Persons plus Disabilities. She deputise Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. She serve insyd de office until ein death insyd 2021, make ein last parliamentary appearance on 19 August 2021 when she cast ein vote to elect Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula as de Speaker of de National Assembly. 

## Personal life den death
Na dem diagnose Mkhize plus lung cancer insyd March 2017, wey na dem hospitalise am on 31 August 2021. She die insyd hospital insyd Johannesburg on 16 December 2021, aged 69. President Ramaphosa grant ein official funeral.

Na she marry Pat Mkhize.Dem get four kiddies – three daughters den a son – den a grandson. She sanso be de chairperson of de June den Andrew Mlangeni Foundation.

## References


## External links

* Hlengiwe Mkhize at People's Assembly
* Memorial service livestream at SABC News