Background
Cjiekella was born into a family of Xhosa background in Upington in April 1970 and grew up in Pabalello Township.
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Grizelda Cjiekella
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She attended the Paballelo Senior Secondary school, returning there later as a teacher. She afterwards completed the following courses at the University of the Free State: Research and Management, Law Making and Oversight, Strategic Planning, Capacity Building in Committees and House proceedings and Local Government (MFMA) Integrated Performance Management Acting.
Career
Having matriculated, Cjiekella enrolled at the University of the Western Cape. Her studies were interrupted by involvement in the liberation struggle movement. Cjiekella’s involvement in politics, many have recalled, dated from her school days when she was a “vibrant and outspoken” Strategic Research Centre member.
In 1986 she was elected branch chairperson of the African National Congress Youth Congress in Upington, a role she fulfilled until 1988.
She serve in the African National Congress Women"s League Nippon Electric Corporation by virtue of being the Provincial Chairperson. The following year she became the Deputy Speaker of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature.
She held the position until April 2009 when she was appointed MEC for Education in the Province. After Northern Cape premier Hazel Jenkins collapsed, suffering a stroke, in 2012, the Executive Council of the Province met on 20 February, unanimously resolving to appoint Grizelda Cjiekella as Acting Premier for the duration of Premier Jenkins’ incapacity leave.
Her term as Acting Premier ended on 2 April 2013 when Hazel Jenkins officially stepped down from the post of Premier of the Northern Cape and was to be succeeded by Sylvia Lucas, the Provincial Minister for Environmental Affairs.
Politics
Her position in African National Congress structures was consolidated in her becoming African National Congress Branch Executive Deputy Chairperson (1990-1994), African National Congress Regional Deputy Chairperson (1995-1996), African National Congress Acting Regional Chairperson (1996-1997), African National Congress Women"s Provincial Secretary (1997-2003), and African National Congress Women"s League Provincial Deputy Chairperson (2003-2008).
Membership
Concurrently and up to 1990 she was a member of the Civic Organisation. Becoming branch chairperson of the African National Congress Women"s Congress in Upington (1988-1989). She is currently the African National Congress Women"s League Provincial Chairperson and also a Pedernales Electric Cooperative and PricewaterhouseCoopers member of the African National Congress. Cjiekella was deployed to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature as a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) in December 2003.
