Buyisiwe Nzimande

Buyisiwe Maureen Nzimande (born 31 October 1952) is a South African politician and diplomat who was the Deputy Minister of Public Works from 1999 to 2001 under President Thabo Mbeki. She represented the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in the National Assembly from May 1994 until March 2001, when she resigned to join the diplomatic service.

Early life and career

Nzimande was born on 31 October 1952 in Vryheid in the former Natal province. She completed a teaching diploma at the University of Zululand in 1978 and later, in 1989, a Bachelor of Arts at the same university. She was a teacher and school principal by profession and served as executive secretary of the Natal African Teachers' Union from 1987 to 1992.

She was also a member of Inkatha (later the IFP) and in her youth had been active in the Inkatha Youth Brigade in Umlazi. Inkatha leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi later said that Nzimande was "like a daughter to me"; they were cousins, with their paternal grandmothers both members of the Mtshali family.

Career in government

In South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994, Nzimande was elected to represent the IFP in the National Assembly, the lower house of the new South African Parliament. During her first term, she served as the whip of the IFP's caucus from 1995 to 1997. She was re-elected in 1999, representing the KwaZulu-Natal constituency.

After the 1999 election, newly elected President Thabo Mbeki appointed her as Deputy Minister of Public Works, in which capacity she deputised Minister Stella Sigcau. She served in that office until January 2001, when Mbeki announced that Musa Zondi would replace her in a reshuffle; it was reported that she would become ambassador-designate to Thailand. She resigned from her parliamentary seat on 31 March 2001 and was indeed appointed as an ambassador.

Personal life

She was married to Themba Nzimande, an intellectual, who died in 2019.