59 Notable alumni of
University of South Africa
Updated:
The University of South Africa is 800th in the world, 18th in Africa, and 5th in South Africa by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 59 notable alumni from the University of South Africa sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Nelson Mandela
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- screenwriterlawyerautobiographerpoliticianpolitical prisoner
- Biography
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Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as the president of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997.
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Robert Mugabe
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- Graduated with bachelor's degree in administration and education
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Robert Gabriel Mugabe was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) from 1975 to 1980 and led its successor political party, the ZANU – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF), from 1980 to 2017. Ideologically an African nationalist, during the 1970s and 1980s he identified as a Marxist–Leninist, and as a socialist after the 1990s.
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Desmond Tutu
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- Studied in 1954
- Occupations
- theologianarchbishopnon-fiction writerpolitical activistevangelical theologian
- Biography
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Desmond Tutu was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first black African to hold the position. Theologically, he sought to fuse ideas from black theology with African theology.
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Fernando Pessoa
- Occupations
- philosopherwriterprose writertranslatorliterary critic
- Biography
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Fernando António Nogueira Pessoa was a Portuguese poet, writer, literary critic, translator, publisher, and philosopher, described as one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest poets in the Portuguese language. He also wrote in and translated from English and French.
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Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She served as a Member of Parliament from 1994 to 2003, and from 2009 until her death, and was a deputy minister of arts and culture from 1994 to 1996. A member of the African National Congress (ANC) political party, she served on the ANC's National Executive Committee and headed its Women's League. Madikizela-Mandela was known to her supporters as the "Mother of the Nation".
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Thabo Mbeki
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- In 1995 graduated with doctorate
- Occupations
- economistpolitician
- Biography
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Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served as the second president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC). Before that, he was deputy president under Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1999.
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Kevin Pietersen
- Occupations
- cricketer
- Biography
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Kevin Peter Pietersen is an English cricket commentator, conservationist, and former England international captain. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who played in all three formats for England between 2005 and 2014, which included a brief tenure as captain. He won the Player of the Series award for his heroics in 2010 ICC World Twenty20 and for helping the England Cricket Team win their maiden ICC trophy.
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Julius Malema
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Julius Sello Malema is a South African politician who is the founder and leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a populist far-left political party known for the red berets and military-style outfits worn by its members. Before its foundation, he served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League from 2008 until his expulsion from the party in 2012.
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Jean-Bertrand Aristide
- Occupations
- politicianCatholic priest
- Biography
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Jean-Bertrand Aristide is a Haitian former Salesian priest and politician who became Haiti's first democratically elected president. A proponent of liberation theology, Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in 1982 after completing his studies to become a priest. He became a focal point for the pro-democracy movement first under Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier and then under the military transition regime which followed. He won the 1990–91 Haitian general election, with 67% of the vote. As a priest, he taught liberation theology and, as a president, he attempted to normalize Afro-Creole culture, including Vodou religion, in Haiti.
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Mmusi Maimane
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Mmusi Aloysias Maimane is a South African politician, businessman, and leader of Build One South Africa, a political party. Maimane is also the former Leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) political party from 10 May 2015 to 23 October 2019, and the former Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of South Africa from 29 May 2014 to 24 October 2019. He is the former leader of the DA in the Johannesburg City Council and the DA National Spokesperson. In 2011, he was elected to be the DA's Johannesburg mayoral candidate in the 2011 municipal elections. In that election, Maimane helped to grow the party's voter base, but was not elected mayor. Thereafter he served as Leader of the Official Opposition on the Johannesburg City Council until May 2014. In addition to his political career, he is also a pastor and elder at Liberty Church. He formed the One South Africa Movement in 2020. Mmusi Maimane launched this new political party, Build One South Africa on 24 September 2022.
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David Mabuza
- Occupations
- politicianhead teacher
- Biography
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David Mabuza is a South African politician who served as deputy president of South Africa from February 2018 to February 2023. He was the deputy president of the African National Congress (ANC) from December 2017 to December 2022 and was previously the premier of Mpumalanga from 2009 to 2018, throughout the presidency of his former political ally Jacob Zuma. Mabuza served as a Member of Parliament from 2018 until his resignation in 2023.
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Mosima Gabriel Sexwale
- Occupations
- politicianbusinessperson
- Biography
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Mosima Gabriel "Tokyo" Sexwale Venda: [sexwále]; is a South African businessman, politician, anti-apartheid activist, and former political prisoner. Sexwale was imprisoned on Robben Island for his anti-apartheid activities, alongside figures such as Nelson Mandela. After the 1994 general election—the first fully democratic election in South Africa—Sexwale became the Premier of Gauteng Province.
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Ahmed Kathrada
- Occupations
- activistpolitician
- Biography
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Ahmed Mohamed Kathrada OMSG, sometimes known by the nickname "Kathy", was a South African politician and anti-apartheid activist.
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Lazarus Chakwera
- Occupations
- theologianpoliticianteacher
- Biography
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Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is a Malawian politician and theologian who has served as President of Malawi and minister of defence since June 2020. He also serves as minister of defence per Malawian constitution, he has served as the leader of the Malawi Congress Party since 2013. He was President of the Malawi Assemblies of God from 1989 to 2013.
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Robert Sobukwe
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- 1947-1949 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- activisteducator
- Biography
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Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe OMSG was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and founding member of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), serving as the first president of the organization.
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Tom Thabane
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Thomas Motsoahae Thabane is a Mosotho politician who was the fifth prime minister of Lesotho from 2012 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2020. He founded the All Basotho Convention (ABC) in 2006 and led the party until 2022.
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Mogoeng Mogoeng
- Occupations
- judge
- Biography
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Mogoeng Thomas Reetsang Mogoeng is a South African jurist who served as the Chief Justice of South Africa from 8 September 2011 until his retirement on 11 October 2021.
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Gwede Mantashe
- Occupations
- politiciantrade unionist
- Biography
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Samson Gwede Mantashe is a South African politician and former trade unionist who is currently serving as the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy. He was Minister of Mineral Resources from February 2018 to May 2019, when his current portfolio was created. He is also serving his second term as the national chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC).
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Antjie Krog
- Occupations
- journalistpoettranslatorwriter
- Biography
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Antjie Krog is a South African writer and academic, best known for her Afrikaans poetry, her reporting on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and her 1998 book Country of My Skull. In 2004, she joined the Arts faculty of the University of the Western Cape as Extraordinary Professor.
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Edwin Cameron
- Occupations
- judgelawyer
- Biography
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Edwin Cameron is a retired judge who served as a Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. He is well known for his HIV/AIDS and gay-rights activism and was hailed by Nelson Mandela as "one of South Africa's new heroes". President Ramaphosa appointed him as Inspecting Judge of Correctional Services from 1 January 2020 and in October 2019 he was elected Chancellor of Stellenbosch University.
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Busisiwe Mkhwebane
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Busisiwe Mkhwebane is a South African advocate and prosecutor who has been a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa since October 2023, representing the Economic Freedom Fighters. She served as the 4th Public Protector of South Africa from October 2016 until her impeachment in September 2023. She is the first head of a Chapter 9 institution to be removed through impeachment.
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Pakalitha Mosisili
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili is a former Mosotho politician who was the fourth prime minister of Lesotho from May 1998 to June 2012 and again from March 2015 to June 2017. He led the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) to a near-total victory in the 1998 election, and under his leadership the party also won majorities in the 2002 and 2007 elections. While serving as Prime Minister, Mosisili was also Minister of Defence.
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Angelique Rockas
- Occupations
- theatrical producertheatre practitionertelevision actorresearcherdancer
- Biography
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Angelique Rockas is an actress, producer and activist. Rockas founded the theatre company Internationalist Theatre in the UK with her patron Athol Fugard. The theatre featured multi-racial casts in classical plays.
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Mark Pilgrim
- Years
- 1969-2023 (aged 54)
- Occupations
- television presenterradio personality
- Biography
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Mark Pilgrim was a South African media personality who hosted numerous radio and television shows, most notably as a DJ on 5FM, Eastrand-oos Rand stereo, 94.7 Highveld Stereo, 94.5 Kfm, Hot919 and Hot102.7fm. On television, he hosted both seasons of Big Brother South Africa, the first season of Big Brother Africa, and the MNET game show Power of 10.
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Tshilidzi Marwala
- Occupations
- engineercomputer scientist
- Biography
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Tshilidzi Marwala is a South African artificial intelligence engineer, a computer scientist, a mechanical engineer and a university administrator. He is currently Rector of the United Nations University and UN Under-Secretary-General. In August 2023 Marwala was appointed to the United Nations scientific advisory council.
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Dikgang Moseneke
- Occupations
- chairpersonjudgelawyer
- Biography
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Dikgang Ernest Moseneke OLG is a South African jurist and former Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa.
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Edna Molewa
- Occupations
- international forum participantpolitician
- Biography
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Bomo Edith Edna Molewa, formerly known as Edna Sethema, was a South African politician and member of the African National Congress. Molewa became the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs of South Africa on 31 October 2010, as part of a cabinet reshuffle by President Jacob Zuma. On 25 May 2014 her Ministry has been divided and she was appointed Minister of Environmental Affairs. She succeeded Buyelwa Sonjica. Prior to her death, Molewa was studying towards a Bachelor's of Arts Honours in Developmental Studies through the University of South Africa.
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Charlotte Osei
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei is the UN International Elections Commissioner, a Ghanaian lawyer and former chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana from 2015 until she was dismissed in June 2018 on grounds of financial malfeasance. Her dismissal has been challenged in the Supreme Court of Ghana by two separate writs. She became the first female to serve in the office of the Electoral Commission of Ghana since the independence of Ghana. Before her appointment she was the chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education. In May 2019, she was appointed by the United Nations to be on a team of international advisors, to assist in managing the 2019 presidential elections in Afghanistan.
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Sindiwe Magona
- Occupations
- poetchildren's writerwriterautobiographer
- Biography
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Sindiwe Magona is a South African writer.
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Danny Jordaan
- Occupations
- association football playerpolitician
- Biography
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Daniel Alexander "Danny" Jordaan is the president of the South African Football Association (SAFA). He is a former lecturer, politician and anti-apartheid activist. He led South Africa's successful 2010 FIFA World Cup bid, the first successful one for Africa, as well as the country's unsuccessful bid four years earlier for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and was the chief executive officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. He is also the former Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, having served from May 2015 until August 2016.
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Frederick Brownell
- Occupations
- heraldistvexillologist
- Biography
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Frederick Gordon Brownell was a South African herald, vexillologist, and genealogist.
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Anton Muziwakhe Lembede
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Anton Muziwakhe Lembede OLG was a South African activist and founding president of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL). He has been described as "the principal architect of South Africa's first full-fledged ideology of African nationalism." Lembede had a strong influence on Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo. Lembede was regarded as the progenitor of the "Programme of Action" that was adopted as a guiding document by the 1949 meeting of the African National Congress. He died in 1947, aged 33.
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Cleopas Dlamini
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in economics
- Occupations
- business executivepolitician
- Biography
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Cleopas Sipho Dlamini is a Liswati business executive who served as the prime minister of Eswatini from 2021 to 2023.
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Es'kia Mphahlele
- Occupations
- university teacherjournalistwriter
- Biography
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Es'kia Mphahlele was a South African writer, educationist, artist and activist celebrated as the Father of African Humanism and one of the founding figures of modern African literature.
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Velenkosini Hlabisa
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Velenkosini Fiki Hlabisa is a South African politician and former teacher who has been President of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) since 2019 and a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa since 2023. He is the party's parliamentary leader. He previously served as the Secretary-General of the IFP from 2011 to 2017, as the Mayor of the Big Five Hlabisa Local Municipality from 2016 to 2019 and as the Leader of the Opposition in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature between 2019 and 2023.
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Bulelani Ngcuka
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Bulelani T. Ngcuka is a South African attorney, prosecutor and activist, who served as the first Director of Public Prosecutions in South Africa, and is the husband of former Deputy President of South Africa Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
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Benedict Wallet Vilakazi
- Occupations
- poettranslatorwriterlinguist
- Biography
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Benedict Wallet Vilakazi was a South African novelist, linguist, a descendant of the Zulu royal family, and a radically innovative poet who created a combination of traditional and Romantic poetry in the Zulu language. Vilakazi was also a professor at the University of Witwatersrand, where he became the first Black South African to teach University classes to White South Africans. In 1946, Vilakazi also became the first Black South African to receive a PhD.
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Chenjerai Hove
- Occupations
- writerpoet
- Biography
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Chenjerai Hove, was a Zimbabwean poet, novelist and essayist who wrote in both English and Shona. "Modernist in their formal construction, but making extensive use of oral conventions, Hove's novels offer an intense examination of the psychic and social costs - to the rural population, especially, of the war of liberation in Zimbabwe." He died on 12 July 2015 while living in exile in Norway, with his death attributed to liver failure.
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Ernest George Jansen
- Occupations
- politicianwriterlawyer
- Biography
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Ernest George Jansen was the second to last Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, holding office from 1951 until his death in 1959.
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Glynnis Breytenbach
- Years
- 1960-.. (age 64)
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Glynnis Breytenbach is a former prosecutor for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of South Africa and a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Alliance (DA). She is South Africa's Shadow Minister of Justice. In this capacity, she has called for an end to ongoing political interference that has compromised the integrity of the NPA. Her protracted dispute with the NPA over her suspension in 2012 from its Specialised Commercial Crime Unit was covered extensively in the media. In 2017, she published a memoir, Rule of Law, and in 2018 was shortlisted for the National Director of Public Prosecutions post at the NPA, but later withdrew her candidacy.
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Mosibudi Mangena
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Mosibudi Mangena OLS is a South Africa politician, former President of the Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO). He is also currently the honorary President of AZAPO while Strike Thokoane is the current President, this is not unusual in the Black Consciousness Movement as was the case with Steve Biko who was also the honorary President of the Black People's Convention in the early-1970s while Winfrey Kgware was the President. He was the Minister of Science and Technology (29 April 2004 - 10 May 2009).
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Ben Martins
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Dikobe Ben Martins, is a former Minister of Energy and has held other posts in the Cabinet of South Africa. He has served in Parliament since 1994 and has been a Central Committee Member of the South African Communist Party.
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Louisa Bolus
- Occupations
- curatorbotanisttaxonomistbotanical collectorscientific illustrator
- Biography
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Harriet Margaret Louisa Bolus née Kensit was a South African botanist and taxonomist, and the longtime curator of the Bolus Herbarium, from 1903. Bolus also has the legacy of authoring more land plant species than any other female scientist, in total naming 1,494 species.
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Glenn Babb
- Years
- 1943-.. (age 81)
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomat
- Biography
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Glenn Robin Ware Babb is a former politician and diplomat for the former apartheid government in South Africa. More recently he has been a businessman and entrepreneur. From 1985 to 1987 he had a high-profile posting in Canada where he was his government's ambassador to Ottawa and made frequent public statements against the anti-apartheid movement and in defence of his government and in opposition to the movement for economic sanctions on and disinvestment from South Africa that the Canadian government was leading internationally.
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Bakone Justice Moloto
- Years
- 1944-.. (age 80)
- Occupations
- judgelawyer
- Biography
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Bakone Justice Moloto is a South African former lawyer, who served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.
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Jessie Majome
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Fungayi Jessie Majome was a Member of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe for Harare West constituency on an MDC-T ticket elected 1st in 2008 and then in 2013. She was the Chairperson of Parliament of Zimbabwe's Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. She was a member of the Parliamentary Legal Committee and the Portfolio Committee on Local Government Rural and Urban Development. During Zimbabwe's constitution making process of 2009 to 2013 she was a member of the 25 member Parliamentary Select Committee (COPAC) on the new Constitution established by the political settlement Global Political Agreement. She served as its Spokesperson and Co-Vice Chairperson.
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Alice Mogwe
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- human rights activistlawyer
- Biography
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Alice Bahumi Mogwe is a Motswana activist and lawyer. She is the founder and director of the human rights organization Ditshwanelo.
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Beric John Croome
- Years
- 1960-2019 (aged 59)
- Occupations
- barrister
- Biography
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Beric John Croome was a chartered accountant, Advocate of the High Court of South Africa and one of South Africa's tax law scholars.
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Elizabeth de la Porte
- Occupations
- harpsichordist
- Biography
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Elizabeth de la Porte FRCM was a South African harpsichordist, Baroque tutor and pianist. She was renowned for bringing to her performances a rhythmic drive and excitement while allowing the instrument to sing, with extraordinary seamless and legato lines and expressive phrasing. During her performing career she made many public appearances, in the UK, continental Europe (Vienna, Geneva etc.), and her native South Africa. She was acclaimed for a wide-ranging repertoire that included Böhm, Rameau, François Couperin, Scarlatti and Handel, but she was praised above all for her playing of J. S. Bach and his six Partitas for solo harpsichord. At her debut in March 1972 she was hailed by The Daily Telegraph as "A mind that both contemplates and acts on intimate stylistic knowledge." Her Bach recording for Saga was reviewed in Records & Recording by John Duarte (March 1976) who wrote, "It is in the Partita in B minor that her playing reaches the proportions of grandeur. There is much to admire in de la Porte's playing, but above all its through line and motivation; she plays as a good orator speaks, and it would be a poor student who could not add to a score the long phrasing marks implied by these performances. It is not just that she sees the end of long phrases and sections from their outset; she carries you in one sweep from beginning to end; it's the wholeness of the music that she communicates, and the joy of it."
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Chris Miles
- Occupations
- politicianteacher
- Biography
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Christopher Gordon Miles is an Australian former politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1984 to 1998, representing the Tasmanian seat of Braddon. He served as parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister John Howard and was a prominent social conservative within the Liberal Party, chairing the conservative Lyons Forum ginger group. Prior to entering politics he worked as a schoolteacher.
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Augusta Vera Duthie
- Occupations
- botanical collectoracademicmycologistbotanist
- Biography
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Augusta Vera Duthie was a South African botanist who studied the plants of the Western Cape and was a popular teacher who lectured on cryptogamic botany. She was the first university lecturer in botany who was entirely educated in South Africa. The standard author abbreviation A.V.Duthie is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.
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William Frederick Nkomo
- Occupations
- physician
- Biography
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William Frederick Nkomo was a South African medical doctor, community leader, political activist and teacher from Pretoria. He was the founding chairman of the African National Congress Youth League. While at the University of the Witwatersrand, Nkomo was the first black student to serve on the Students Representative Committee.
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Gifty Oware-Mensah
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- Graduated with postgraduate education in management
- Occupations
- chief executive officerexecutive directorpolitician
- Biography
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Gifty Oware-Mensah is a Ghanaian politician and currently the deputy executive director of the National Service Scheme in Ghana. She has responsibility for administration and finance, helping to manage an annual personnel pool of about 100,000.
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Anja Marais
- Enrolled in the University of South Africa
- Studied in 1998
- Occupations
- sculptorartistphotographer
- Biography
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Anja Marais is a South African sculptor and multi-disciplinary artist. She has completed residencies in Japan, Korea, Russia and Florida and completed solo and group shows in Asia, Europe and the US.
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Wim Richter
- Occupations
- scientist
- Biography
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Paul Wilhelm Richter was a South African chemist and principal researcher involved in bioceramic research activities. He is most widely known for his development of the bioceramic hydroxyapatite orbital implant.
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Snowy Khoza
- Occupations
- chief executive officerbusinessperson
- Biography
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Snowy Joyce Khoza is a South African who is chief executive officer of Bigen Africa and President of Agape Christian Women.
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Hendrick Schmidt
- Occupations
- politicianlawyer
- Biography
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Hendrik Schmidt is a South African politician, a Member of Parliament with the Democratic Alliance, and the Shadow Deputy Minister of Mining.
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George Earle
- Occupations
- rugby union player
- Biography
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George Earle is a South African rugby union footballer. His regular playing position is lock.
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Augustus Theodore Wirgman
- Years
- 1846-1917 (aged 71)
- Occupations
- priest
- Biography
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Augustus Theodore Wirgman, DD was an Anglican priest in the second half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th, most notably Archdeacon of Port Elizabeth from 1907 until his death.
