Baleka Mbete

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Baleka Mbete (born September 24, 1949) is a South African politician and the current Speaker of the South African National Assembly.

She received a teacher's certificate from Lovedale Teachers' College and taught in Durban.

After going into exile Mbete taught in Mbabane, and went on to work for the African National Congress in several other African cities including Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Gaborone, Harare, and Lusaka.

She led the Medu Art Ensemble, was the secretary-general of ANC Women's League from 1991 to 1993, and the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa from 1996 to 2004.

Mbete was a member of the Presidential Panel on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the ANC National Executive Committee, and the Pan-African Parliament.