Profile - Sibusiso Joel Ndebele

Written by Mduduzi Tshabangu

Know your Ministers

In June 2012, Sibusiso Joel Ndebele became Minister of Correctional Services. This came after serving three years as the National Minister of Transport. Before then, from 2004 to 2009, he served a term as the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal.

Minister Ndebele had also served in the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC since 1997, after which he became Provincial Chair. From 1994 to 2004 he was the MEC for Transport in KwaZulu-Natal.

As a student at the University of Zululand in 1972, Minister Ndebele become publicity secretary of the South African Students Organisation. Shortly thereafter, in 1974, he joined the ANC underground and went into exile in Swaziland. The South African Police arrested him in May 1976 for ANC year he was sentenced to ten years on Robben Island.

Minister Ndebele obtained a degree in Library Science from the University of Zululand in 1972, a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Politics and African Politics from the University of South Africa in 1983, and a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Development Administration and Politics in 1985, which he completed with distinction.

In 2000, Minister Ndebele received the OMTO award for continuous sup- port of the African Renaissance at the Transportation African-Renaissance Transportation in 2000 and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Zululand in 2005