(Gallo Images)
(Gallo Images)
Lindiwe Sisulu threw her name into the ring to become the next ANC leader in the run-up to their 54th Elective Conference. However, she’s now taken on the role of International Relations Minister, following Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle.
Sisulu has won fans both in and outside of the ANC, after she lead calls for investigations into Zuma’s conduct numerous times. She’s been ever-present in the government’s cabinet since 1996 and will be banking on her decades of experience to use her in new role.
What SA gets with Lindiwe Sisulu:
History and Background
The spirit of revolution burns brightly within Mrs Sisulu, the daughter of Walter and Albertina Sisulu. She was born and raised in Johannesburg, and was an active part of the ANC’s fight for equality through the 1970s and 80s, serving jail time for her actions.
Between 1973 – 1989, she worked as both a Lecturer and as an Intelligence Operative for the ANC, completing four university degrees and earning her PhD from the University of York.
Political Experience
Sisulu has actually spent more time in office than Cyril Ramaphosa. Loyalists to the party have an enormous amount of respect for her. She has served in government for an uninterrupted 22 years, across seven positions:
- Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, 1996 – 2001
- Minister of Intelligence, 2001 – 2004
- Minister of Housing, 2004 – 2009
- Defence and Military Veterans Minister, 2009 – 2012
- Minister of Public Service and Administration, 2012 – 2014
- Human Settlements Minister, 2014 – 2018
- International Relations Minister, 2018 –
What policies does Lindiwe Sisulu represent?
The former Human Settlements Minister is a strong opponent of state capture and has repeatedly demanded Jacob Zuma faces an investigation. When Lindiwe campaigned to be part of the ANC’s Top Six, she prioritised the poor.
Sisulu has called for greater accountability from public servants, and her ace in the hole is to speed up housing development in order to stimulate the economy and jobs market.
Whilst still in the running for the leadership race, the political stalwart shared a list of policies which target the marriage of social and economic transformation. You can’t have one without the other in her book. Sisulu presented a clear and coherent manifesto, which was first shared by the Huffington Post in 2017:
Style of politics
It would be fair to call Sisulu a ‘progressive socialist‘. She is an advocate for fairer wealth distribution and wants a society that provides for everyone. It has echoes of the UK Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn, and his ‘for the many, not the few’ approach.
She is certainly a ‘doer’ rather than a ‘talker’. Lindiwe enjoyed immense success during her time as the Minister of Housing. She won two international awards for the radical transformation she was able to implement from her position.
What could voters hold against her?
Her handling of the Joe Slovo settlement relocation wasn’t too convincing. Residents weren’t happy with her proposals and flatly refused to make way for government housing.
She may be an anti-corruption minister, but needs a bit of help when it comes to choosing legal representation. Paul Ngobeni and Menzi Simelane were both appointed as her advisors a few years ago. However, both were disbarred from practising law in SA.
Would she make a good International Relations Minister?
Lindiwe Sisulu’s ‘poor first’ policies may rattle a few of South Africa’s middle-to-upper classes. But that’s what good politicians are meant to do. They should challenge some of society’s views and try to make the country work for everyone. It remains to be seen how this will translate into a more international capacity.
