Ezra Mvuyisi Sigwela (born 26 October 1940) is a retired South African politician and former

anti-apartheid activist The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM), was a British organisation that was at the centre of the international movement opposing the South African apartheid, apartheid system and supporting South Africa's non-White population who were persecuted by ...

. He was recruited into the African National Congress (ANC) in the 1950s and was active in the organisation's underground structures in the Transkei after it was banned in 1960. He was imprisoned on Robben Island for his political activities. Upon his release, Sigwela, a devout

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, became a fieldworker for the Transkei Council of Churches. After the 1994 general election, Sigwela served in the Executive Council of the Eastern Cape from 1994 to 1997, first as the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

's inaugural Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Planning and Development and then as MEC for Public Administration. Premier

Arnold Stofile Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile (27 December 1944 – 15 August 2016) was a South African politician. He was Minister of Sport and Recreation from 2004 to 2010. At the time of his death he was serving as Ambassador to Germany. Stofile was born in Adel ...

fired him from the executive council in a reshuffle in May 1997. In the 1999 general election, Sigwela was elected to represent the ANC in the National Assembly, where he served a single term. After leaving Parliament, he was South African Ambassador to Rwanda until 2008.

References

External links

Testimony
to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission {{DEFAULTSORT:Sigwela, Ezra Living people 1940 births African National Congress politicians 21st-century South African politicians 20th-century South African politicians Members of the National Assembly of South Africa Members of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature Inmates of Robben Island South African anti-apartheid activists