Abridged Biography

Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson

Member of Executive Council, Northern Cape Province (SA)

Ms Tina Monica Joemat-Pettersson was the longest serving Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature since 1994. Until 1999 she was MEC for Education, Arts, Sports and Culture after the 2000 democratic elections education became a Portfolio on its own. She was appointed MEC for Agriculture and Land Reform on Friday 30^th April 2004 in the wake of the country’s third general elections.

She headed one of the most successful education departments in the country; it achieved the highest pass rate for 3 consecutive years in the grade twelve examinations. She has hitherto successfully undertaken the task of transforming education in the Northern Cape Province. Prior to her election to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislator and her subsequent appointment as MEC she was Lecturing at the University of the Orange Free State.

Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson was born in Kimberley and is married to Thorvald Pettersson and they have two sons. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in English and History from the University of the Western Cape where she obtained a distinction in South African literature in 1990. She also became a research assistant to the head of the department. She also has a Higher Diploma in Education in which she obtained distinction in History from the same institution 1991. Last year (2002) she completed an Executive Management Certificate from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of business.

She has spearheaded the establishment of the Northern Cape department of education from scratch and has been an instrumental in the transformation of education in the Province. This also required her to play a pioneering role in terms of developing relevant policies. She established the National Institute for Higher Education Northern Cape. It is the first Higher Education Institution based in the Northern Cape.

Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson has a long history of involvement in the struggle against apartheid dating back to her student days. After which she became a teacher at Homevale Senior Secondary until 1993 and the next year she was appointed as a lecturer as indicated above. During this time she also served as a Tutor on the National Coordinating Committee, which was affiliated, to the United Democratic Front as part of the array of community structures that fought against apartheid. Already at that stage the NECC initiative sought to establish a new education paradigm in South Africa.

From 1998 until to date she has been a Provincial Executive Committee member of the African National Congress which is the ruling Party. She has also been the Chairperson of its Women’s League in the Northern Cape.

By virtue of her position as Chairperson of the ANC Women’s League she has also been a member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC Women’s League. In September (2003) she was elected into the National Executive of the ANC Women’s League as indicative of the growing trust in her abilities.

She has also served in the following positions and continues to act as such in some of them:

2002 to date Standing Advisory Committee for Religion in Education reporting to National Minister of Education Prof. Kadar Asmal

2000 to date Member of Northern Cape Provincial HIV/AIDS Council

2000 Member of both the Economic and Social Cluster (Provincial Cabinet Committees)

She has also delivered numerous scholarly and political papers at various Conferences at various Conventions and Conferences in the Country.