Biography: Nomaindiya Cathleen Mfeketo

Nomaindiya Cathleen Mfeketo is South African Ambassador to the United States since March 2020.

Social injustice and the brutality of the Apartheid system motivated Nomaindiya to enter into active politics at a tender age of 23. Nomaindiya played a critical role in post 1976 family support of detained students leading to active engagement with a number of non-governmental organisations (NGO) including the agricultural training NGO ZAKH, the Social Change Assistance Trust (SCAT) and the Development Action Group (DAG) focused mainly on a public housing project

Nomaindiya served as South Africa’s Minister of Human Settlements (2018 – 2019) and Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (2014 – 2018) a role in which she worked closely on the Palestine question, the Middle East Peace Process and BRICS.

Nomaindiya has had an extensive career within the South African Government and has served as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament in South Africa’s fourth Parliament and as the first black woman Mayor of the City of Cape Town. Nomaindiya has an extensive understanding and experience of South Africa’s transition to a multiparty democracy in 1994 and played a critical role within the conflict resolution negotiations between 1993 and 1996.

Nomaindiya has been a member of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) since 2007 to date and serves on the National Working Committee.

She has a keen interest in social justice issues and the alleviation of poverty in South Africa.

Nomaindiya attended school in Cape Town, South Africa and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law by the University of Cape Town in 2000.

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