Monday, July 07, 2008

ANC Women's League Elects New President

JOHANNESBURG 6 July 2008 Sapa-AFP

SOWETAN BECOMES SA RULING PARTY'S WOMEN LEADER

A woman from South Africa's biggest township of Soweto on Sunday became the leader of the governing ANC party's powerful Women's League, public broadcaster SA FM reported.

Angie Motshekga, a senior education official of Gauteng Province which includes Johannesburg and Soweto, won a total 1,826 votes, beating her rival, Bathabile Dlamini, who garnered 1,531, to clinch the presidency of the Women's League.

Motshekga, a member of the ANC National Executive Committee and National Working Committee who has a Masters Degree in education, is the wife of a former premier of Gauteng Province.

Former ANC Women's League chief Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, on Friday failed to secure a nomination for the league's top job. She did not receive the 25 percent of votes needed from the about 4,000 delegates at the League's conference in Bloemfontein.

Winnie, former wife of South Africa's ex-president Nelson Mandela, received 480 votes from the delegates.

The support of the Women's League was key to the election of Jacob Zuma as ANC president last December.

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A Brief Profile:

Angelina Motshekga was born in Pimville, Soweto , where she first became active in the struggle against apartheid.

She holds a BA Education, B Ed from the University of the North and a Masters Degree in Education from the Wits University . She has published and conducted research in education, women's development and language studies.

Motshekga has had extensive involvement in education struggles and experience in education policy development. She was an executive member of the National Education Union of South Africa (Neusa) in the 1980s and was elected convener of the teacher unity talks which led to the formation of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu). Her experience as an educator includes teaching at Soweto 's Orlando High and lecturing at the Soweto College of Education and Wits University . She also founded and served on various bodies focusing on education and women's development.

She was working as a convener for Gender in the Office of the President. Proceeded to work as a trainer in the Department of Public Service and Administration. She was elected a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in 1999 and was appointed Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Education. She was appointed as MEC for Social Development in 2000 and in April 2004 as MEC for Education to date.

In 2005 she was elected the Deputy Chairperson of the ANC in Gauteng and also a member of the ANC Provincial Working Committee.

She is currently a member of the ANC National Executive Committee and National Working Committee. She serves also as a member of the ANC WL National Executive Committee and the National Working Committee. She is married to the former Premier of Gauteng Dr Mathole Motshekga.

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