Kgalema Motlanthe

Kgalema Motlanthe
Name	Kgalema Motlanthe
Caption	Motlanthe in 2012
Office	3rd President of South Africa
Term start	25 September 2008
Term end	9 May 2009
Predecessor	Thabo Mbeki
Successor	Jacob Zuma
Office1	7th Deputy President of South Africa
Term start1	9 May 2009
Term end1	26 May 2014
President1	Jacob Zuma
Predecessor1	Baleka Mbete
Successor1	Cyril Ramaphosa
Office2	13th Secretary-General of the African National Congress
Term start2	1997
Term end2	2007
Predecessor2	Cyril Ramaphosa
Successor2	Gwede Mantashe
Birth date	19 July 1949
Birth place	Alexandra, Transvaal, Union of South Africa
Party	African National Congress
Spouse	Mapula Motlanthe (m. 1976; died 2014)
Alma mater	University of South Africa

Kgalema Motlanthe is a South African politician who served as the third President of South Africa from 2008 to 2009 and as the seventh Deputy President of South Africa from 2009 to 2014. A stalwart of the African National Congress (ANC), he previously held the influential position of Secretary-General of the African National Congress for a decade. His political career, marked by a reputation for integrity and quiet diplomacy, spans the anti-apartheid struggle, the transition to democracy, and the post-Nelson Mandela era of South African governance.

Early Life

Kgalema Motlanthe was born on 19 July 1949 in Alexandra township, then part of the Transvaal province. His family later moved to the Soweto area, a major center of black urban life and political activity under apartheid. His early years were shaped by the systemic racial discrimination of the National Party government, which enforced policies like the Group Areas Act and Bantu Education Act. These experiences in the segregated townships of Johannesburg fundamentally influenced his political consciousness and future commitment to the liberation movement.

Education

Motlanthe received his primary and secondary education under the racially segregated Bantu education system. After completing his schooling, he pursued further studies through correspondence with the University of South Africa (UNISA). His formal academic pursuits were, however, interrupted by his deepening involvement in political activism. Much of his political education occurred within the structures of the African National Congress and its allied formations, including the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), where he developed a grounding in Marxist theory and trade union organizing.

Career

Motlanthe's political career began in the labor movement, where he became a prominent figure in the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), an affiliate of COSATU. His activism led to his detention without trial in 1976 under the Terrorism Act and subsequent imprisonment on Robben Island for ten years alongside figures like Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu. Following his release and the unbanning of the ANC, he rose through the party's ranks, playing a key role in its internal restructuring. He was elected Secretary-General of the African National Congress in 1997, a position he held until 2007, where he was instrumental in managing the party's daily affairs and internal disputes during the presidencies of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki.

Presidency

Motlanthe became President of South Africa on 25 September 2008, following the recall of Thabo Mbeki by the African National Congress National Executive Committee. His brief tenure, often described as a stabilizing "caretaker" presidency, focused on maintaining governmental continuity ahead of the 2009 elections. During his term, he oversaw the country's response to the global financial crisis and kept the administration functioning amidst significant political turmoil within the Tripartite Alliance. He did not seek a full term and handed over power to Jacob Zuma after the African National Congress victory in the 2009 South African general election.

Personal Life

Motlanthe married Mapula Motlanthe in 1976, and the couple had two children. His wife, a teacher, was known for maintaining a low public profile until her death in 2014. Motlanthe himself has cultivated an image of a private, philosophical, and austere individual, often contrasted with the more flamboyant styles of some contemporaries. His personal interests include reading and he is known for his measured, taciturn demeanor. He maintains a residence in Johannesburg and has largely avoided the controversies over personal wealth that have affected other senior African National Congress figures.

Post-Presidency

After completing his term as Deputy President of South Africa under Jacob Zuma in 2014, Motlanthe remained an influential elder statesman within the African National Congress and South African public life. He has chaired several high-profile advisory panels, including a review of the country's Constitutional Court judgments. Often seen as a voice of reason, he has been openly critical of corruption within the ANC and has advocated for ethical leadership, positioning himself as a moral compass during periods of political scandal. He continues to participate in party forums and national dialogues on the future of South African democracy.

Category:Presidents of South Africa Category:African National Congress politicians Category:1949 births