Grizelda Cjiekella

Last updated
Grizelda Cjiekella
Premier of the Northern Cape
Acting
In office
20 February 2012 2 April 2013
Preceded by Hazel Jenkins
Succeeded by Sylvia Lucas
Northern Cape MEC for Education
In office
12 May 2009 28 August 2015
Premier Hazel Jenkins
Herself
Sylvia Lucas
Preceded by John Block
Succeeded by Martha Bartlett
Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature
In office
December 2003 28 August 2015
Personal details
Born14 April 1970
Died28 August 2015(2015-08-28) (aged 45)
Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa
Nationality South African
Political party African National Congress
Alma mater University of the Free State

Grizelda Boniwe Cjiekella was MEC (Member of the Executive Council) for Education in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa, and served as Acting Premier of the province from 20 February 2012 until 2 April 2013. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Cjiekella was born into a family of Xhosa background and grew up in Pabalello Township in Upington. She attended the Paballelo Senior Secondary school, returning there later as a teacher. Having matriculated, Cjiekella enrolled at the University of the Western Cape. Her studies were interrupted by involvement in the liberation struggle movement. She afterwards completed the following courses at the University of the Free State: Research and Management, Law Making and Oversight, Strategic Planning, Capacity Building in Committees and House proceedings and Local Government (MFMA) Integrated Performance Management Act.

Political career

Cjiekella’s involvement in politics, many have recalled, dated from her school days when she was a “vibrant and outspoken” SRC member. In 1986 she was elected branch chairperson of the ANC Youth Congress in Upington, a role she fulfilled until 1988. Concurrently and up to 1990 she was a member of the Civic Organisation; becoming branch chairperson of the ANC Women's Congress in Upington (1988-1989). Her position in African National Congress structures was consolidated in her becoming ANC Branch Executive Deputy Chairperson (1990-1994), ANC Regional Deputy Chairperson (1995-1996), ANC Acting Regional Chairperson (1996-1997), ANC Women's Provincial Secretary (1997-2003), and ANC Women's League Provincial Deputy Chairperson (2003-2008). She was currently the ANC Women's League Provincial Chairperson and also a PEC and PWC member of the ANC. She served in the ANC Women's League NEC by virtue of being the Provincial Chairperson.

Cjiekella was deployed to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature as a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) in December 2003. The following year she became the Deputy Speaker of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature. She held the position until April 2009 when she was appointed MEC for Education in the Province.

Acting Premier of the Northern Cape

After Northern Cape premier Hazel Jenkins collapsed, suffering a stroke, in 2012, [2] the Executive Council of the Province met on 20 February, unanimously resolving to appoint Grizelda Cjiekella as Acting Premier for the duration of Premier Jenkins’ incapacity leave. [3]

Her term as Acting Premier ended on 2 April 2013 when Hazel Jenkins officially stepped down from the post of Premier of the Northern Cape and was to be succeeded by Sylvia Lucas, the Provincial Minister for Environmental Affairs.

Death

Grizelda Cjiekella died unexpectedly while in hospital in the city of Kimberley on 28 August 2015. [4]

Related Research Articles

Lynne Brown South African politician

Lynne Brown is a South African politician who is a former Minister of Public Enterprises and former Premier of the Western Cape Province. She was born in Cape Town and grew up in Mitchell's Plain. She was appointed Premier of the Western Cape following the resignation of Ebrahim Rasool in July 2008. Previously, she was Minister for Economic Development and Tourism. She is a member of the African National Congress and elected member of its National Executive Committee in 2007 and 2012. Like her predecessor Ebrahim Rasool she is also from a coloured background. She is the fourth coloured premier of the Western Cape, and the second from the African National Congress, and is the first openly gay person to be appointed to a cabinet post in any African government.

Hazel Gertrude Jenkins is a South African politician and former Premier of the Northern Cape province. She served as Premier from May 2009 until she officially stood down in April 2013, following a stroke. The motion to recognise her stepping down as Premier was defeated in a vote by the legislature on 30 April 2013 so that technically Jenkins remained Premier. Hence Sylvia Lucas was sworn in on 30 April not as Jenkins' successor but as Acting Premier. Jenkins subsequently resigned, as of 22 May 2013, paving the way for Lucas to be sworn in as her successoron 23 May 2013.

Dipuo Peters

Elizabeth Dipuo Peters was the Minister of Transport of the Republic of South Africa from 10 July 2013 until 30 March 2017, in the Zuma administration, and former Minister of Energy from 2009 to 2013 having served as successor to Manne Dipico as the second Premier of the Northern Cape Province, 22 April 2004 to 10 May 2009. A member of the African National Congress (ANC), she serves on the Women's League National Executive Committee. Dipuo Peters resigned as a member of parliament for the African National Congress in April 2017.

Sylvia Lucas

Sylvia Elizabeth Lucas is the current Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces in the Republic of South Africa, after having taken office on 23 May 2019. From 2013 to 2019, she served as the 4th Premier of the Northern Cape Province. She was elected and inaugurated as the successor to Hazel Jenkins. Lucas briefly served as acting premier and before her appointment, as the MEC for Environmental Affairs in the Northern Cape Provincial Government.

John Fikile Block was the Provincial Chairman of the African National Congress in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa, and was a Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism in the Northern Cape Provincial Government. Block was found guilty of fraud, corruption and money laundering by the Northern Cape High Court in 2015. In December 2016 he was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.

Sisi Ntombela 6th Premier of the Free State

Sefora Hixsonia "Sisi" Ntombela is a South African politician who is the 6th Premier of the Free State and a Member of the Free State Provincial Legislature. She previously served as the Free State MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements. She was also the Free State MEC for Social Development. Ntombela is the Deputy President of the African National Congress Women's League and the treasurer of the Free State ANC.

Maruping Matthews Lekwene is a South African politician serving as the Northern Cape MEC for Health since June 2020. He has been a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature for the African National Congress (ANC) since June 2014. He was the Northern Cape MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism from May 2019 until June 2020. Lekwene is also the provincial chairperson of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC's deputy provincial secretary.

Nontobeko Eveline Vilakazi is a South African politician serving as the Northern Cape MEC for Social Development since June 2020. She has been a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature since May 2019. From May 2019 to June 2020, she was the Northern Cape MEC for Transport and Safety Liaison. Vilakazi is a member of the African National Congress and the provincial secretary of the party's women's league.

Abraham Vosloo is a South African educator and politician from the Northern Cape serving as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism since June 2020. He has been a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature since May 2019. He was the MEC for Roads and Public Works from May 2019 until June 2020. Vosloo was previously the Executive Mayor of the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality. He is a member of the African National Congress (ANC).

Bentley Gavin Vass is a South African politician who has been the Northern Cape MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs since February 2018. He was sworn in as a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature in October 2017. Vass is a member of the African National Congress and the party's deputy provincial chairperson.

Gift van Staden is a South African politician who serves as a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature for the African National Congress (ANC). He was the provincial MEC for Social Development from 2016 to 2019. Prior to serving in the legislature, he was the Executive Mayor of both the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality and the Khara Hais Local Municipality. He is a former business associate of John Block.

Alvin Botes is a South African African National Congress (ANC) politician from the Northern Cape who has been serving as the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation since May 2019. He became a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa in February 2018. He was the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Social Development from 2009 to 2013 and the MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs from 2013 to 2018. Botes served as a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature from 2009 to 2018.

Mosimanegare Kenneth Mmoiemang is a South African politician who has been a permanent delegate to the National Council of Provinces since May 2019. He is a member of the Northern Cape delegation. He was the provincial MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs from 2009 to 2013 and the speaker of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature from 2013 to 2019. Mmoiemang is a member of the African National Congress (ANC).

Pemmy Castelina Pamela Majodina is a South African politician serving as a Member of the National Assembly since 2019. A member of the African National Congress, she is the party's chief whip in the assembly. She was formerly a Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature between 2004 and 2019 and a Member of the provincial Executive Council for five different portfolios from 2008 to 2019, respectively. Majodina was a permanent delegate to the National Council of Provinces from 1994 to 2004.

Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko South African politician

Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko is a South African politician. She is a member of the African National Congress. She has served as the Gauteng MEC for Finance and e-Government since May 2019. Nkomo-Ralehoko was elected to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in June 1999.

Mxolisa Simon Sokatsha is a South African accountant, educator and politician serving as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa since 2019. He was a Member of the Executive Council in the Northern Cape from 2009 to 2019 and a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature from 2003 to 2019. Sokatsha is a member of the African National Congress.

Cukelwa Magdeline Chotelo, known as Tiny Chotelo, is a South African politician. A member of the African National Congress, she was elected to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature in 2009. In 2013 she was appointed Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Social Development. She was appointed MEC for Nature Conservation and Environmental Affairs in 2014. Chotelo was demoted from the Executive Council in 2018 and left the legislature in 2019.

Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba South African politician

Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba is a South African politician. She is the current chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education in the National Assembly of South Africa and a Member of Parliament representing the African National Congress. Prior to serving in parliament, she was a Member of the Executive Council (MEC) in the Northern Cape provincial government.

Makalo Petrus Mohale is a South African lawyer and African National Congress politician serving as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for the Free State Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA) since 28 May 2019. Mohale is the provincial chairperson of the African National Congress Youth League.

Pauline Jeanette Williams is a retired South African politician. A member of the African National Congress, she was elected to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature in 2004. In 2009, she was appointed as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Sport, Arts and Culture. She left the legislature in 2014, only for her to return in 2015. She was then made MEC for Transport, Liaison and Safety in 2016. Williams was briefly out of the post in May 2017. In February 2018, she was made the MEC for Environmental Affairs. Williams left the legislature again in 2019.

References

  1. Profile: Grizelda Cjiekella Archived 2013-04-12 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Premier suffers stroke; Jenkins needs time to recover. Diamond Fields Advertiser 20 Feb 2012, pp 1-3
  3. Appointment of Acting Premier
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-04-15. Retrieved 2017-04-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)