Lynne Brown

Lynne Brown (born 26 September 1961) is the Minister of Public Enterprises and former Premier of the Western Cape province in South Africa. She was born in Cape Town and grew up in Mitchell's Plain. She was appointed Premier of the Western Cape following the resignation of Ebrahim Rasool in July 2008. Previously, she was Minister for Economic Development and Tourism. She is a member of the African National Congress and elected member of its National Executive Committee in 2007 and 2012. Like her predecessor Ebrahim Rasool she is also from a coloured background. She is the fourth coloured premier of the Western Cape, and the second from the African National Congress, and is believed the first openly gay person to be appointed to a cabinet post in any African government.

Brown was chairperson of the Mitchell's Plain Youth Congress in 1979 and a member of the United Women's Organisation from 1979 to 1985. She was a member of the United Women's Congress from 1985 to 1990, serving first as Education Officer and then as Provincial Secretary. She was involved in the United Democratic Front from its formation in 1983 until its disbandment, serving as a member of its Finance Committee.

Brown joined the ANC in 1987 and was elected to the Provincial Executive Committee and Provincial Working Committee in 1999. She has served as Western Cape Provincial Secretary of the ANC Women's League since 1990. Her involvement in education continued after her teaching years. She was a board member of the National Literacy Project and is currently a board member of the Extramural Education Project. She initiated and was director of the Women's College in 1990. In 1994 and again in 1999 she was elected as an ANC Member of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature. She was chairperson of the standing committees on Community Services and on Health and Welfare, and served as an ANC Whip and Chief Whip in the legislature. She stood as the ANC's candidate as mayor of Cape Town in 1999 and served as provincial Minister (MEC) for finance, economic development and tourism until her elevation to the office of Premier in 2008.

The ANC lost control of the province in the 2009 election with the Democratic Alliance garnering 22 of the 42 seats in the Provincial Parliament. The DA premier candidate Helen Zille replaced Brown on 6 May 2009. She served as Leader of the ANC Opposition from 2009 until May 2014, when she was appointed by President Jacob Zuma to his cabinet as Minister of Enterprise.

Brown is openly gay.