Siyabonga Cwele

**Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele** (born 3 September 1958) be a South African politician who serve insyd de cabinet of South Africa from September 2008 to May 2019, most recently as de Minister of Home Affairs between 2018 den 2019. He be appointed as de South African Ambassador to China insyd December 2020. He be a member of de African National Congress (ANC) den represent de party insyd Parliament from 1994 to 2019.

A medical doctor by training, Cwele join de ANC underground during apartheid insyd 1984. Insyd de 1994 general election, he be elected to de KwaZulu-Natal delegation of de National Council of Provinces, where he serve for a single term before join de National Assembly. He chair Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence between 2004 den 2008.

Insyd September 2008, he be appointed to de cabinet of President Kgalema Motlanthe, who name ein as Minister of Intelligence. He remain insyd dat office until May 2014, though President Jacob Zuma rename it as de Minister of State Security insyd May 2009. From May 2014 to November 2018, he be de Minister of Telecommunications den Postal Services under Zuma den ein successor, Cyril Ramaphosa, den he go on to serve a brief stint as Ramaphosa's Minister of Home Affairs from November 2018 to May 2019. After de 2019 general election, he be excluded from Ramaphosa ein second cabinet den resign from ein legislative seat.

Cwele be a member of de ANC National Executive Committee from December 2012 to December 2022. Before dat, he serve insyd de Provincial Executive Committee insyd KwaZulu-Natal between 1990 den 2012.

## Early life den education
Dem born Cwele on 3 September 1958 at KwaMachi near Harding insyd what become KwaZulu Natal province. He graduate from de University of KwaZulu-Natal plus an MBChB insyd 1984 den he later complete an MPhil insyd economic policy from de University of Stellenbosch.

## Early political career
Between 1984 den 1990, he serve insyd underground structures of de African National Congress (ANC), which at de time be ban by de apartheid government. After de party be unban insyd 1990, he be elected to de inaugural Provincial Executive Committee of de ANC's new KwaZulu-Natal branch; he remain a member of de committee for over two decades thereafter.

## Parliament: 1994–2008
Insyd de April 1994 general election, South Africa ein first under universal suffrage, Cwele be elected to represent de ANC insyd de Senate of South Africa, soon rename de National Council of Provinces. He represent de KwaZulu-Natal constituency. He serve only a single term insyd ein seat: insyd de next general election insyd June 1999, he be elected instead to de National Assembly, de upper house of Parliament. He be a backbencher, again represent de KwaZulu-Natal constituency, until after de 2004 general election, when de ANC nominate ein to chair de Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence.

## Intelligence and State Security: 2008–2014
On 25 September 2008, recently elected President Kgalema Motlanthe announce dat Cwele would be appointed to ein cabinet as Minister of Intelligence, a position vacate by de resignation of Ronnie Kasrils. Insyd de April 2009 general election, Motlanthe be succeeded by President Jacob Zuma, who rename Cwele ein position as de Minister of State Security, to align plus de newly restructure State Security Agency (SSA).

During ein tenure insyd de ministry, Cwele attend de ANC ein 53rd National Conference insyd December 2012. Though Cwele be re-elected to de Provincial Executive Committee insyd May, he graduate at de 53rd Conference to de National Executive Committee, gain election to a five-year term. By number of votes receive, he be de 24th-most popular member of de 80-member body.

### Zondo Commission findings
Cwele ein activities insyd de state security portfolio later be investigated by de Zondo Commission, which be established to investigate state capture under Zuma ein administration. At de commission, three top SSA officials – Mo Shaik, Mzuvukile Maqetuka, den Gibson Njenje – testify dat Cwele obstruct investigations into de influence of de Gupta family den into Arthur Fraser ein use of a slush fund to operate de controversial Principal Agent Network. Cwele ein relationship plus all three officials be poor, den he deny demma allegations insyd ein own testimony before de commission. However, de final report of de Zondo Commission largely accept de officials' account, conclude dat Cwele obstruct both investigations insyd order to protect President Zuma ein interests.

## Telecommunications den Postal Services: 2014–2018
Insyd de 2014 general election, Cwele be re-elected to ein fourth term insyd de National Assembly, rank 31st on de ANC ein national party list. Announce ein second-term cabinet, Zuma sanso announce a reconfiguration insyd de communications portfolio: Cwele be appointed to a new ministry as Minister of Telecommunications den Postal Services.

During dis period, de ANC be increasingly divide over Zuma ein leadership den de race to succeed ein as ANC president. According to de Business Day, Cwele shift ein allegiance to Zuma ein deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, insyd 2017, though he previously be viewed as a strong supporter of Zuma. De Mail & Guardian report insyd May 2017 dat Cwele support a motion of no confidence insyd Zuma ein leadership, tabled by Joel Netshitenzhe at an ANC meeting – although Eyewitness News report dat he oppose de same motion. At de ANC ein 54th National Conference insyd December dat year, Ramaphosa be elected to succeed Zuma as de president of de party, den Cwele be re-elect to de National Executive Committee, rank 60th of 80. He be retain insyd de cabinet when Ramaphosa replace Zuma as President of South Africa insyd February 2018.

## Home Affairs: 2018–2019
On 22 November 2018, Ramaphosa announce a minor cabinet reshuffle, occasion by Malusi Gigaba ein resignation from cabinet. Cwele be appointed to succeed Gigaba as Minister of Home Affairs. Ein own former portfolio be merged back into de newly rename Ministry of Communications of Digital Technologies, to be lead by Cwele ein former deputy, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams.

Insyd de May 2019 general election, Cwele be re-elected to de National Assembly, rank 54th on de ANC ein national party list. However, after de election, he be sacked from Ramaphosa ein second cabinet; Aaron Motsoaledi be appointed to replace ein as Minister of Home Affairs. Shortly after de cabinet announcement, Cwele resign from de National Assembly, plus effect from 3 June 2019.

## Ambassador to China: 2020–present
After Cwele resign from frontline politics, President Ramaphosa designate ein as South African Ambassador to China. Although de Sunday Times report insyd March 2020 dat he be denied de requisite security clearance, he arrive insyd Beijing on 4 December 2020 den present ein diplomatic credentials on 23 December. Na dem no re-elect am to de ANC National Executive Committee when ein term expire insyd December 2022.

## Ein life matter
Insyd 1985, he marry Sheryl Cwele, plus whom he have four kiddies. She be director for health den community services at de Hibiscus Coast Local Municipality until May 2011, when she be convicted of deal or conspire to deal insyd cocaine. Demma divorce be finalise insyd August 2011, den Cwele say insyd court papers dat he be estranged from ein wife since 2000.

## References



## External links

* Mr Siyabonga Cwele at People's Assembly