Ignatius Jacobs

Ignatius "Nash" Jacobs (31 July 1963 – 1 April 2020) was a South African politician and strategist who served in the Executive Council of Gauteng, including as Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education from 1999 to 2004 and as MEC for Public Transport, Roads and Works from 2004 to 2009. After he left the provincial legislature in 2009, he was the General Manager of his political party, the African National Congress, until 2017.

Early life and activism Jacobs was born on 31 July 1963. He grew up in Riverlea, a township near Langlaagte in the former Transvaal (now part of Gauteng province) that was designated for Coloureds under apartheid. According to one of his brothers, he was active in the anti-apartheid movement from 1980, He also became an underground operative of Umkhonto weSizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC). He was also a member of the provincial leadership of the South African Communist Party in Gauteng. and the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Welfare and Population Development He was retained in the latter position during Paul Mashatile's brief stint as Premier in 2008 to 2009. He and the head of his department were later investigated for alleged misconduct and corruption in the Department of Transport, Roads and Works, but the investigation did not find sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations against Jacobs.

After the 2009 general election, Nomvula Mokonyane, who succeeded Mashatile as Premier, did not reappoint Jacobs to the Executive Council but instead made him her special advisor and head of a new Planning Commission to be established in her office. Also during this period, Jacobs was a member of the inaugural board of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, then chaired by Cyril Ramaphosa. Jacobs denied any impropriety. In late February, he confirmed that he had left his position, as part of what his lawyer called "a settlement to part ways amicably".

Personal life and death He was married to Amelia, whom he met in primary school, and had three children and one grandchild born shortly before his death.