Education
Mr Nxesi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Fort Hare obtained in 1983. A Bachelor of degree from Witwatersrand University and a Higher Diploma in from the University of South Africa (University of South Africa).
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Thulas Nxesi
Edit ProfileCareer
His political career began as a student activist and leader in the Union for French Democracy-aligned SANSCO (South African National Student Congress) and its predecessor, AZASO (Azanian Students Organisation). In 1985 he took up a teaching position in Tembisa, Gauteng at the Ikusasa Senior Secondary School, where he headed the Social Studies department from 1985 until 1990. In 1990 he was elected Assistant General Secretary of the newly formed SADTU (South African Democratic Teachers Union), and in 1995 became General Secretary, a position he held until 2009.
During this period, SADTU grew in membership from 30,000 to a quarter of a million.
In 2009, the Minister was released by SADTU and COSATU to apply to stand for election to Parliament on the African National Congress list. In November 2010, the President appointed him to the post of Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, where he was given responsibilities including: restitution claims, gender issues, Human Resource Development and communications.
A year later, in October 2011, the President appointed him Minister of Public Works. He was denied visa by Israel in 2012.
Achievements
Politics
A member of the African National Congress, he is the Minister of Public Works and previously served as Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform.
Membership
During this time he was increasingly active in International (Economic Inquiry) – with 30 million affiliated members worldwide. And served as President from 2004-2009, when he was also a member of the Global Unions Council. As a Member of Parliament, he served as Chair of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation, during which time he participated in several study tours and overseas missions focusing on human rights.
