Jeff Radebe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Jeffrey Thamsanqa Radebe" (born 18 February 1953), is currently South Africa's Minister of Transport. He has been Transport Minister since 2004. He was born in Cato Manor, and lived there until 1958 when he's family was forcibly removed to KwaMashu.[1]
He studied towards a law degree at the University of Zululand, and finished an LLM in International Law at the Karl Marx University, Leipzig in 1981.[2]
Radebe joined the 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 unsuccesful 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 succesful 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 is Minister of Transport (2004 - Present).
Radebe is actively involved in the Arrive Alive campaign that strives to minimize road accidents.
On 26 February 2007, Radebe was appointed acting Health minister, due to the ongoing ill health of current health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.[3]
