President Jacob Zuma Succeeded by Dipuo Peters Party African National Congress President Kgalema Motlanthe Education Rhodes University | Succeeded by Edna Molewa Name Buyelwa Sonjica Preceded by Lindiwe Hendricks President Thabo Mbeki Resigned November 2010 | |
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Role Former South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Previous office South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs (2009–2010) Similar People Jacob Zuma, Nkosazana Dlamini‑Zuma, Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, John Langalibalele Dube | ||
Sonjica urges communities to guard natural resources
Buyelwa Patience Sonjica (born 23 March 1950) is a South African politician who served as Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs from May 2009 until November 2010.
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Early life
Sonjica received degrees from Vista University and Rhodes University. She worked as a student nurse and a teacher.
Politics
In 1976/77 she was involved in student politics in East London. She was active against the Apartheid regime in the UDF and SADTU when the African National Congress was illegal in South Africa. After the readmission of the ANC, she became active for it in Port Elizabeth.
Since the 1994 general election, Sonjica is a member of South Africa's Parliament, and she was Deputy minister in the Department for Arts and Culture. In 2004, she was appointed as Minister in the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, in 2006 as Minister for Minerals and Energy, and in 2009 as Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs.