Grizelda Boniwe Cjiekella was MEC (

Member of the Executive Council In South Africa, the Executive Council of a province is the cabinet of the provincial government. The Executive Council consists of the Premier and five to ten other members,''Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996'', Chapter 6: "Pro ...

) for Education in the

Northern Cape Province The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley, South Africa, Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, and served as Acting Premier of the province from 20 February 2012 until 2 April 2013.

Early life and education

Cjiekella was born into a family of

Xhosa Xhosa may refer to: * Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa * Xhosa language, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, principally spoken by the Xhosa people See als ...

background and grew up in Pabalello Township in

Upington Upington ( Nama: //Khara hais) is a town founded in 1873 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River. The town was originally called Olijvenhoutsdrift ('Olive wood drift'), due to the abundance of ...

. She attended the Paballelo Senior Secondary school, returning there later as a teacher. Having matriculated, Cjiekella enrolled at the

University of the Western Cape The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is a public research university in Bellville, near Cape Town, South Africa. The university was established in 1959 by the South African government as a university for Coloured people only. Other un ...

. Her studies were interrupted by involvement in the liberation struggle movement. She afterwards completed the following courses at the

University of the Free State The University of the Free State is a multi-campus public university in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State (province), Free State and the judicial capital of South Africa. It was first established as an institution of higher learning in ...

: Research and Management, Law Making and Oversight, Strategic Planning, Capacity Building in Committees and House proceedings and Local Government (MFMA) Integrated Performance Management Act.

Political career

Cjiekella’s involvement in politics, many have recalled, dated from her school days when she was a “vibrant and outspoken” SRC member. In 1986 she was elected branch chairperson of the

ANC The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election installe ...

Youth Congress in Upington, a role she fulfilled until 1988. Concurrently and up to 1990 she was a member of the Civic Organisation; becoming branch chairperson of the ANC Women's Congress in Upington (1988-1989). Her position in

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...

structures was consolidated in her becoming ANC Branch Executive Deputy Chairperson (1990-1994), ANC Regional Deputy Chairperson (1995-1996), ANC Acting Regional Chairperson (1996-1997), ANC Women's Provincial Secretary (1997-2003), and

ANC Women's League The African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) is an auxiliary women's political organization of the African National Congress, African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa. This organization has its precedent in the Bantu Women's League ...

Provincial Deputy Chairperson (2003-2008). She was currently the ANC Women's League Provincial Chairperson and also a PEC and PWC member of the ANC. She served in the ANC Women's League NEC by virtue of being the Provincial Chairperson. Cjiekella was deployed to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature as a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) in December 2003. 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.

Acting Premier of the Northern Cape

After Northern Cape premier

Hazel Jenkins Hazel Gertrude Jenkins is a South African politician and former Premier of the Northern Cape province. She served as Premier from May 2009 until she officially stood down in April 2013, following a stroke. The motion to recognise her stepping ...

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 Sylvia Elizabeth Lucas (born 22 April 1964) is the current Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces in the Republic of South Africa, after having taken office on 23 May 2019. From 2013 to 2019, she served as the 4th Premier of the ...

, the Provincial Minister for Environmental Affairs.

Death

Grizelda Cjiekella died unexpectedly while in hospital in the city of Kimberley on 28 August 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cjiekella, Grizelda 1970 births 2015 deaths People from Upington African National Congress politicians Members of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature 21st-century South African politicians 21st-century South African women politicians