Baleka Mbete

African National Congress (ANC) National Chairperson Baleka Mbete in 2017 confirmed her aspirations to stand for ANC president.

Born 24 September in 1949 in Transvaal South Africa, Mbete is the Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa since 21 May 2014.

Mbete previously served as the Deputy President of South Africa from 2008 to 2009 under Kgalema Motlanthe. She was elected National Chairperson of the ANC in 2007 and re-elected in 2012.

She served as ANCWL secretary-general from 1991-1993. She was elected as an MP for the ANC in 1995 and was Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa from 1996-2004. From April 2004 Mbete became Speaker of the National Assembly. In 2007 Mbete was elected as the ANC’s national chairperson.

Mbete has a Certificate of Teaching from Lovedale Teacher Training College.

Controversy
In 2006, Mail and Guardian reported that Mbete chartered a jet at a cost of R471,900 to fly to Liberia for the inauguration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as president. The only other passenger on the plane was a member of her staff. Then President Thabo Mbeki and foreign minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma also travelled to the inauguration – Mbeki in his private plane and Dlamini-Zuma by commercial flight. Mbete has been a staunch supporter of Tony Yengeni, a former ANC Chief Whip in parliament, who was convicted of defrauding parliament in 2004, even accompanying Yengeni to Pollsmoor Prison when he reported to serve his sentence. Mbete’s links to business have also been questioned in local media. She and provincial secretary of the ANC in the Northern Cape Dr K M Seimelo are shareholders in Dyambu Holdings, which is involved in building the massive Gautrain public transport project in Gauteng. Dyambu Holdings is reported to have had links with slain magnate Brett Kebble. In 2010, she was implicated in a R25 million Gold Fields bribe under the guise of a “BEE” transaction by US investigators. Supporters The Dorothy Nyembe ANC branch in Soweto, has nominated Mbete as ANC presidential candidate. Chief Thanduxolo Magadla of Mqanduli in the Eastern Cape believes that Mbete can be a leader of high quality in the country given the chance.

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