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Thandi Modise

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The Honourable
Thandi Modise
MP
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 August 2021
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa
DeputyThabang Makwetla
Preceded byNosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
6th Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa
In office
22 May 2019 – 5 August 2021
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa
DeputySolomon Lechesa Tsenoli
Preceded byBaleka Mbete
Succeeded byNosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula
5th Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces
In office
21 May 2014 – 22 May 2019
DeputyRaseriti Tau
Preceded byM. J. Mahlangu
Succeeded byAmos Masondo
4th Premier of North West
In office
19 November 2010 – 20 May 2014
Preceded byMaureen Modiselle
Succeeded bySupra Mahumapelo
Deputy Secretary-General of the African National Congress
In office
16 December 2007 – December 2012
PresidentThabo Mbeki
Jacob Zuma
Secretary-GeneralKgalema Motlanthe
Gwede Mantashe
Preceded bySankie Mthembi-Mahanyele
Succeeded byJessie Duarte
Legislative offices
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 May 2019
ConstituencyNorth West
Delegate to the National Council of Provinces
In office
22 May 2014 – 7 May 2019
ConstituencyNorth West
Member of the North West Provincial Legislature
In office
19 November 2010 – 20 May 2014
ConstituencyVryburg
Personal details
Born (1959-12-25) 25 December 1959 (age 64)
Vryburg, North West Province, South Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Children4
Residence(s)
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Occupation
ProfessionTopographer
Cabinet
Jacob Zuma

Cyril Ramaphosa

Military service
AllegianceUmkhonto We Sizwe
Years of service1970–1980
RankCommander and Political Commissar

Thandi Modise (born 25 December 1959)[1] is a South African politician and former anti-Apartheid guerilla. She is currently serving as Minister of Defence & Military Veterans. She served as Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces[2] from 2014 to 2019 and as Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa from 2019 to 2021.

Early life

She left South Africa in 1976 to join the African National Congress and received training in Angola. She returned to South Africa in 1978 as an Umkhonto weSizwe operative.[1] She was arrested and imprisoned in 1979, becoming the first woman in South Africa to be jailed for MK activities.[1]

Political career

She served as the Premier of North West from 19 November 2010 to 21 May 2014, when she was replaced by Supra Mahumapelo, also from the ANC, after the 2014 general election.

On 5 August 2021, she was appointed Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.[3]

During the evening of 14 October 2021, individuals affiliated with the Liberation Struggle War Veterans (LSWV) took Modise hostage, along with her deputy, Thabang Makwetla, and Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele in a hotel in Pretoria. After almost three hours, members of the Special Task Force assaulted the facility, freeing the hostages and arresting numerous individuals.[4][5] On 20 October, 42 of the 53 accused were released on bail, and the kidnapping trial was postponed to 1 February 2022.[6]

On 16 March 2022, the National Working Committee of the ANC appointed Modise to lead a task team to assess the status of the party's Women's League ahead of the party's national elective conference in December 2022.[7]

Travel allowance controversy

In 2017, she was caught taking a travel allowance of more than R125 000, which she was not entitled to as the chairwoman of the National Council of Provinces. She was requested to repay this allowance over a period of three years, but she resisted this instruction and it has not been established whether she did eventually repay the sum.[8]

Animal cruelty charges

In July 2014, the NSPCA discovered a number of dead animals, including chickens, pigs, goats and geese, on a farm owned by Modise in Modderfontein, outside Potchefstroom in the North West Province. It was apparent that the animals had gone without food and water for more than a week, and 85 remaining pigs on the farm had resorted to cannibalising 58 dead pigs.[9] No workers were present on the property. North West Police confirmed on 7 July that she will face charges of animal cruelty in violation of the Animal Protection Act. She responded to the claims by stating that she was "learning"[10] how to farm, and that she had appointed a farm manager, but he had abandoned his duties to attend to a family matter.[11] Approximately four months later, it was reported that conditions on the farm had improved, that Modise's cattle had been receiving sufficient food and were in an "acceptable condition".[12]

The NSPCA and AfriForum opened a case of animal cruelty against Modise.[13] On 30 April 2021, the Potchefstroom Regional Court dismissed the animal cruelty case against her. The court found that Modise could not be held responsible for what occurred on her farm and that the man she hired to look after her farm, should be held responsible for the crimes committed.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Thandi Modise". SA History Online. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  2. ^ "Thandi Modise elected National Council of Provinces chair". TimesLive. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  3. ^ Merten, Marianne (6 August 2021). "Speaker Modise's surprise move is good for Department of Defence, but a blow for Parliament". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  4. ^ Nicholson, Greg (15 October 2021). "ANC military veterans arrested after allegedly holding ministers hostage". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  5. ^ Hunter, Qaanitah; Wicks, Jeff (14 October 2021). "Special Task Force rescues ministers held hostage by disgruntled military veterans in Pretoria". News24. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  6. ^ Simelane, Bheki C. (20 October 2021). "Military veterans accused of kidnapping government officials out on bail". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Thandi Modise to head ANCWL task team". The Citizen. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Modise in travel scandal; parliament demands payback". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Thandi Modise could face criminal charges over farm horror". eNCA. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  10. ^ "Today's top stories". Destinyconnect.com. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  11. ^ "Modise to cooperate with SPCA". iafrica.com. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  12. ^ "Better conditions at Thandi Modise's farm". The Citizen. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  13. ^ Grobler, Riaan. "NSPCA launches crowdfunding campaign for AfriForum's case against Thandi Modise". News24. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  14. ^ Potchefstroom, Alex Mitchley in. "Animal cruelty case against Thandi Modise dismissed". News24. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
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