Quick Facts
AquariusBiography
Jeffrey Thamsanqa "Jeff" Radebe (born 18 February 1953) is a South African politician who has served in the government of South Africa as Minister in the Presidency since 2014. Previously he was Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development from 2009 to 2014. Radebe is South Africa's longest continuously serving cabinet member, having been part of every national administration since 1994 and under every post-apartheid President.
Education and personal
Radebe was born in Cato Manor, and lived there until 1958 when his family was forcibly removed to KwaMashu. He is married to Bridgette Radebe, South Africa's first black female mining entrepreneur and sister of the billionaire mining magnate, Patrice Motsepe. He studied towards a law degree at the University of Zululand, and finished an LLM in International Law at the Karl Marx University in Leipzig in 1981.
ANC history
Radebe joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1976, while he was a student. In 1977 the ANC sent Radebe to Mozambique, and soon after to Tanzania where he worked as a journalist for a radio station in Dar es Salaam. After an unsuccessful secret mission by the ANC, Radebe was arrested in 1986, and was convicted under the Terrorism Act of the then Apartheid government. He was sentenced to a 10-year imprisonment on Robben Island. After a successful 12-day hunger strike, Radebe was released from prison in 1990.
After the 1994 democratic elections, Radebe served as Minister of Public Works under Nelson Mandela. Under the leadership of Thabo Mbeki, Radebe served as Minister of Public Enterprises (1999–2004) and Minister of Transport (2004–2009).
On 26 February 2007, Radebe was appointed acting Minister of Health due to the ongoing ill health of Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.