Fikile Mbalula

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fikile April Mbalula (born April 8, 1971 ) is a South African politician. As Minister for Sport and Leisure, he was a member of Jacob Zuma's second cabinet . He is Minister of Transport in the Ramaphosa II cabinet . He is a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC).

Career

Mbalula was President of the Botshabelo Youth Congress in 1986/87 , immediately afterwards Secretary for Public Relations and Vice President of the Student Congress . In 1989 he became a member of the United Democratic Front , since 1990 he has held various positions in the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in Free State , in 1998 he was elected General Secretary of the ANCYL, and in 2004 he was elected President. He held the office until 2008, and in 2004 he was also President of the International Union of Socialist Youth .

In 2009 Mbalula was elected to the National Assembly, in May 2009 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Police in Jacob Zuma's first cabinet , and from November 2010 he was Minister for Sports and Leisure.

Public statements

In June 2007, Mbalula said at an event at Witwatersrand University that the University of KwaZulu-Natal would marginalize black students in favor of Indians, thereby creating conditions like those in Bombay . The university management strongly contradicted this, and Mbalula was accused of xenophobia from the ranks of the ANC .

In the run-up to the ANC Congress in December 2007, Mbalula described Finance Minister Trevor Manuel in an open letter as an “attention-seeking drama queen”.

At an ANCYL conference in early April 2008, Mbalula characterized the then Vice Chancellor of the University of South Africa , Barney Pityana , as an overzealous clown, ignorant reactionary and typical ivory tower academic after he had criticized Jacob Zuma. The Independent Democrats demanded an apology from Mbalula, which his spokesman refused.

At the end of October 2011, Mbalula, who is married and has two children, was accused by model Joyce Molamu of impregnating her. At the same time she called him one of many lovers. He publicly apologized to his wife and family and spoke of extortion by Molamu.

In March 2016, Mbalula stated that he had been notified of the appointment as minister by one of the Gupta brothers . This and then President Jacob Zuma have been at the center of a scandal about unauthorized influence on the South African government since 2016.

In 2019 Mbalula became Minister of Transport in the Ramaphosa II cabinet .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Rivonia Naidu: Mbalula's comment angers UKZN staff . In: Independent Online of June 18, 2007, accessed March 29, 2012 (English).
  2. ↑ Deon de Lange and Siyabonga Mkhwanazi: 'Drama queen' Manuel slammed by Mbalula . In: Independent Online of December 14, 2007, accessed on March 29, 2012.
  3. ↑ Mbalula tells Pityana to wake up and smell the coffee . In: Mail and Guardian Online of April 3, 2008, accessed March 29, 2012.
  4. ↑ Zenoyise Madikwa: I never loved Fikile . In: The Sowetan of November 1, 2011, accessed March 29, 2012.
  5. ↑ Anna Majavu: Fikile Mbalula apologises for bedding model . In Times Live from 31 October 2011, accessed on 29 March 2012 (English).
  6. ↑ Johannes Dieterich: South Africa: It's getting tight around Zuma. Frankfurter Rundschau of March 17, 2016, accessed on March 20, 2016
personal data
SURNAME Mbalula, Fikile
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mbalula, Fikile April
BRIEF DESCRIPTION South African politician
DATE OF BIRTH April 8, 1971