Meet Minister Bathabile Dlamini

Know your Minister

Ms Bathabile Dlamini was appointed Minister of Social Development on 1 November 2010. From May 2009, she was Deputy Minister of Social Development under interim President Kgalema Motlanthe.

Dlamini is a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress (ANC). She became an active member of the Idlangamabala Youth at Imbali's St Marks Anglican Church as well as South African Student Congress.

ANC structures

After the release of Nelson Mandela, she worked with various structures including the Congress of South Africa Trade Unions, Youth and various underground structures of the ANC. She became part of the interim leadership that was formed to build the ANC Women’s League structures in KwaZulu-Natal in 1991.

From 1991 to 1993, Minister Dlamini worked for the Pietermaritzburg Cripples Care Association that worked with the physically disabled.

Women's league

She was elected to the first Regional Executive Committee of the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) and in 1993, she became Deputy Secretary General of the ANCWL.

From 1994 to 2004, Ms Dlamini was a Member of Parliament and served in the Correctional Services and Social Development Portfolio Committees.

In 1998, she was appointed Secretary-General of the ANCWL. She held this position until to 2008, making her one of the longest serving Secretaries-General of the organisation.

Progressive Women's Movement

In 2007, she was actively involved in the formation of the Progressive Women’s Movement of South Africa and was on the National Executive of the ANC as well as the Working Committee.

Minister Dlamini holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Studies from the University of Zululand.