Profile of Gauteng Premier Nomvula Paula Mokonyane

Nomvula Paula Mokonyane, daughter of the late Mr. & Mrs. Mkhize, was born on 28 June 1963 in West Rand township of Kagiso. She is the youngest in a family of 12 – six sisters and five brothers.
Mokonyane is a married mother of three - two sons and a daughter, a Catholic and an active member of the social networking club.

Growing up in the struggle 

Mokonyane has participated actively in the struggle against apartheid from an early age of 15. She is a founder member of COSAS (Congress of South African Students), a former member and organiser of the Federation of Transvaal Women (UDF affiliate), former activist and leader of the Civic Movement (Kagiso Residents Organisation) and former shop-steward and leader of CCAWUSA (now SACCAWU).
During this period, she was continuously harassed and detained by the apartheid security police. 

Since the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994, Mokonyane has continued to serve in different leadership capacities in the ANC and its Alliance structures, including as a member of the Central Committee of the SACP, NEC member of the ANCWL and NEC member of the ANC. She is currently the Deputy Chairperson of the ANC in Gauteng.

Wealth of experience on matters of governance

She has been part of the ANC cadres who became public representatives in 1994 and served in the Gauteng Legislature in various Portfolio Committees before she was appointed an MEC of Agriculture and Environment in 1996. She became MEC for Safety and Liaison from 1999 to 2004, was appointed Housing MEC between 2004 and 2009. 

As MEC for Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, she:

• Championed the process that led to Sterkfontein being awarded the status of a World Heritage Site.  

As the MEC for Safety and Liaison (now Community Safety), she:

• Established three Metro Police structures during her tenure
• Established Victim Support centres at police stations
• Established a One-Stop Centre at a Provincial level for Victims of Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence, in Braamfontein Johannesburg,  called Ikhaya le Themba, “Home of Hope”
• Contributed to programmes that seek to improve the quality of life of people

As MEC of Housing, she was responsible for:

• Championing policy and housing delivery strategy
• Promote and foster partnerships
• Ensure that there is an administration that serves people with care
• Promoting women enterprises in the construction and housing sector
• Lead the Twenty Priority Township Programme – renewal of Gauteng’s old townships

She has received training in Local Government and Planning Management and Community Development in Sweden. She completed a certificate course in Emerging Economics with the Wharton Business School at Pensylvania University and studied leadership and governance at Harvard University, both in the USA.

Mokonyane firmly believes in collective leadership and team work, which accords with the ANC’s 2009 election campaign slogan” Working together, we can do more”.