Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams
Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams (born 30 June 1978) is a South African politician and the Minister of Small Business Development in the cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa. She previously served as Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies and Deputy Minister of Communication. Ndabeni-Abrahams is a member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Executive Committee (PEC), and a member of the Eastern Cape African National Congress (ANC) Provincial Working Committee (PWC) Early life. Ndabeni-Abrahams was born in Sakhela, a village near Mthatha, in 1978. She is the first-born of six children in her family and her parents  were pastors. She completed her secondary school education at the Holy Cross Senior Secondary School in Mthatha. Career. Ndabeni-Abrahams is a recipient of an Advanced Certificate in Project Management, Rhodes University; Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation Diploma in Telecommunications and Management Systems; as well as a Certificate in Telecommunications, Policy and Regulation Management, Wits University. She was previously the Deputy Minister of the Department of Communications (DoC) from 26 May 2014 to 30 March 2017. Prior to the 2014 elections, she held the same position in the then DoC (now Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services) from 25 October 2011 until  25 May 2014. Prior to being an MP, Ms Ndabeni-Abrahams was a Project Manager for the Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council from 2003 to 2009. On November 22, 2018, she was appointed as Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services and will oversee the unification of the two ministries. Around 7 April 2020, amidst the 21-day national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, Ndabeni-Abrahams was at the center of a nationwide controversy after ANC NEC member Mduduzi Manana posted a photo online of them having lunch together. Manana captioned the (subsequently-deleted) picture : "It was great to host a former colleague and dear sister Cde Stella Ndabeni- Abrahams (Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies) on her way back from executing critical and essential services required for the effective functioning of our country during the nationwide lockdown". She was immediately criticized for ignoring lockdown regulations. President Cyril Ramaphosa then summoned her to explain to him why she appeared to have broken lockdown regulations and directed her to deliver a public apology to the nation. Ndabeni-Abrahams released a video apology, directed to the President and the country. Ramaphosa accepted the minister's apology for  the violation, but in a statement said he "was unmoved by mitigating factors she tendered". Ndabeni-Abrahams was temporarily relieved of her duties for two months, with one month unpaid. She paid a R1,000 fine and now has a criminal record. On 5 August 2021, president Ramaphosa reshuffled the national executive and appointed Ndabeni-Abrahams as Minister of Small Business Development, replacing Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who took over as Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies. Personal life. Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has three children and is married to Thato Abrahams.