Pinky Kekana
Pinky Sharon Kekana is the Deputy Minister of Communications in South Africa.[1][2]
Life
Pinky Sharon Kekana is a South African politician, the current Deputy Minister of Communications, and the Secretary General of the Pan African Women’s Organisation (PAWO).
She hails from Bela-Bela, located in the Limpopo Province. Her first job was as a secondary school teacher at Bela-Bela High School, after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Education and Teaching. It was her experiences as a high school teacher, that fueled her passion for South Africa’s youth, education and her commitment to improving opportunities for young South Africans, from all walks of life.
It was her interest in politics though, that led her to the African National Congress (ANC). She was elected to the Provincial legislature in 1999 and later re-elected in 2009. She has also served as: the Executive Mayor of the Waterberg District; the MEC of Limpopo Roads and Transport as well as MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism. In 2014, she was elected as a Member of Parliament. In her role as a Member of Parliament, Kekana has been a part of a number of committees most notably the Standing Committee on Finance and the Ad Hoc Committee on the Filling of Vacancies in the Commission for Gender Equality.
In 2015 she was elected into the National Executive Committee of the ANC Women’s League and its National Working Committee. She was subsequently appointed as the Women’s League Chairperson on International Relations and The Pan African Women’s Organisation (PAWO).
In December 2017, she was elected by the ANC branches into the National Executive Committee, and in this capacity, she serves on several sub-committees of the ANC.
In March 2018 she was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Communications by President Cyril Ramaphosa. In this role, Kekana recognises the vital importance of bridging the digital divide between people living, working and travelling in remote parts of the country with metropolitan cities.
As South Africa moves rapidly towards the large-scale adoption of digitisation and the use of cutting edge technology, through the current era of the 4th industrial revolution that is upon us, she believes that rural South Africans should have access to the same technological advantages to live, work, and play, as their city-dwelling counterparts. Her passion for connectivity and connection for the betterment of society, is known throughout her administration.
Of all her roles, the only thing that she is more passionate about, than technology, is her commitment and absolute dedication to increasing the profile of women on the African continent through initiatives that promote women and equality broadly.
As the Secretary-General of PAWO, she drives the agenda of African women on the continent, ensuring that more women can have access to opportunities that will benefit them and their local communities. Her long term vision is to ensure that everyone, particularly women and girls, know a world where ‘women-firsts’ are no longer a precursor to any statement.
See also
- African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
- Politics in South Africa
- Provincial governments of South Africa
References
- "Pinky Sharon Kekana :: People's Assembly". pa.org.za. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
- reporter, Citizen. "Mabuza sworn in as deputy president". The Citizen. Retrieved 2018-03-07.