Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was appointed Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa in 2005.
Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka initially became a member of parliament in 1994 chairing the Public Service Portfolio Committee. She was deputy minister in the Department of Trade and Industry from 1996 until 1999, during which time she also was a founding member of the Guguletu Community Development Corporation. Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka was the Minister of Minerals and Energy (1999-2005) and briefly served as acting Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology in 2004.
Since 1997 she has served as member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress as well as being the provincial vice-chairperson of the ANC Western Cape.
She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in education from the National University of Lesotho in 1980 and a masters in philosophy from the University of Cape Town in 2003, which dealt with educational planning and policy.
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