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Gratitude Magwanishe

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Gratitude Magwanishe
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development
In office
2 July 2019 – 29 May 2024
Preceded byRefiloe Mothapo
Succeeded byXola Nqola
Member of the National Assembly
In office
14 June 1999 – 29 May 2024
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry
In office
31 March 2017 – 7 May 2019
PresidentJacob Zuma
Cyril Ramaphosa
MinisterRob Davies
Preceded byMzwandile Masina
Succeeded byFikile Majola
Nomalungelo Gina
Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises
In office
13 June 2012 – 30 March 2017
PresidentJacob Zuma
MinisterMalusi Gigaba
Lynne Brown
Preceded byBen Martins
Succeeded byBen Martins
Personal details
Born
Gratitude Bulelani Magwanishe

(1973-01-20) 20 January 1973 (age 52)
Johannesburg, South Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Alma materRegent Business School

Gratitude Bulelani Magwanishe (born 20 January 1973) is a South African politician who served in the National Assembly from June 1999 to May 2024. A member of the African National Congress, he also served in the national government as a deputy minister from June 2012 to May 2019.

Elected to the National Assembly in the June 1999 general election, Magwanishe was the Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party between October 2008 and June 2012. Thereafter he was appointed by President Jacob Zuma as Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises in June 2012 and as Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry in March 2017. In his final legislative term, he was the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services during the Sixth Parliament from 2019 to 2024.

Early life and education

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Magwanishe was born on 20 January 1973 in Johannesburg.[citation needed] He became politically active in the student anti-apartheid movement, including as chairperson of the Tsakane Youth Congress.[1] He also represented the congress at the 1989 Conference for a Democratic Future. Later he joined the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League, holding various local and regional leadership positions in the league between 1991 and 2004.[citation needed]

Magwanishe completed an MBA at Regent Business School in 2006.[1] He also holds an LLB from the University of Essex, LLMs from theUniversity of Cumbria and London Metropolitan University, and MScs from Salford Business School and Liverpool John Moores University.[citation needed]

Political career

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Early parliamentary career: 1999–2012

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Magwanishe joined the National Assembly of South Africa in the June 1999 general election and served five consecutive terms in his seat. Initially elected to represent the ANC in the Gauteng constituency,[2] he was elected to some later terms from the ANC's national party list.[3] During his first decade in Parliament, he served as a member and whip in various legislative committees,[1] including the ad hoc committee established to oversee the disbanding of the Scorpions in 2008.[4] He also remained active in his local ANC branch in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng.[1]

In October 2008, Magwanishe was named as the new Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party.[5] He held that office until June 2012, deputising Mnyamezeli Booi and, from 2009, Mathole Motshekga; there were reports, denied by the ANC, that he and Motshekga had a tense relationship.[6]

National executive: 2012–2019

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On 12 June 2012, President Jacob Zuma announced that Magwanishe had been appointed as Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises in a cabinet reshuffle.[7] Sworn in on 13 June,[8] he succeeded Ben Martins, who had been promoted to a ministerial position, and deputised Malusi Gigaba.[9] After the May 2014 general election he was retained in the same portfolio under new minister Lynne Brown.[10] During this period the Department of Public Enterprises was a locus of controversy because of its alleged role in the so-called capture of state-owned enterprises like Denel and Eskom.[11][12]

In another cabinet reshuffle just after midnight on 30 March 2017, President Zuma transferred Magwanishe to the position of Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, deputising Rob Davies.[13][14] He served a little over two years in that portfolio.

Justice committee: 2019–2024

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Magwanishe was not reappointed to his deputy ministerial position after the May 2019 general election. Instead, the ANC announced that it would nominate him to chair the National Assembly's Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services,[15] a position to which he was duly elected on 2 July 2019.[16] He also represented the National Assembly as a member of the Judicial Service Commission.[17]

His tenure in the justice portfolio was generally viewed as successful, with the Mail & Guardian reporting that he "won praise for forging cooperation across party lines and seeking to effect thorough oversight" over the justice ministry under Ronald Lamola.[18] He did not return to Parliament after the May 2024 general election.[19]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Bulelani Gratitude Magwanishe, Mr". South African Government. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  2. ^ "General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 408, no. 20203. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 11 June 1999. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Mr Gratitude Magwanishe". People's Assembly. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Battle over future of the Scorpions". The Mail & Guardian. 10 February 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  5. ^ "ANC Chief Whip Travelgate MP". News24. 23 October 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Chief Motshekga under the whip". The Mail & Guardian. 9 April 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  7. ^ Munusamy, Ranjeni (12 June 2012). "Zuma cabinet, 3.0: Release, reshuffle… reprieve, for now". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  8. ^ "New minister, deputies to be sworn in". News24. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Cabinet reshuffle announced". News24. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Zuma's chosen ministers and deputy ministers". News24. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  11. ^ "How Denel was hijacked". The Mail & Guardian. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  12. ^ Hyman, Aron (29 April 2022). "Lynne Brown — The 'Guptas' minister' who captured Eskom". Sunday Times. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  13. ^ "Zuma's night of the long knives". News24. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  14. ^ Thamm, Marianne (30 March 2017). "The axeman strikes: Gordhan sidelined in Zuma's late-night cabinet reshuffle gamble". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  15. ^ "ANC releases list of portfolio committee chair nominees". Sowetan. 19 June 2019. Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  16. ^ "Election of Chairperson; Draft Committee Programme". Parliamentary Monitoring Group. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  17. ^ Thamm, Marianne (17 February 2020). "Ramaphosa announces four replacements for Judicial Service Commission". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  18. ^ Ferreira, Emsie (10 July 2024). "DA MPs to chair water and public administration portfolio committees". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  19. ^ Merten, Marianne (5 June 2024). "The ANC haemorrhaging continues — Cele, Modise, Zulu and Pandor won't return as MPs". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
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