Lydia Sindisiwe Chikunga

Sindisiwe Lydia Chikunga (; born 9 November 1958) is a South African politician who is serving as the Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities since 2024, and acting Minister of Social Development following the dismissal of Sisisi Tolashe. A member of the African National Congress, she has been a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa since 2004. Chikunga had previously served as Deputy Minister of Transport twice, from 2012 to 2019 and again from 2021 to 2023, as Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration from 2019 until 2021, and as Minister of Transport from 2023 to 2024. She is a midwife by profession. Early life and education Chikunga was born in Muden in present-day KwaZulu-Natal. Her father was Lutheran church pastor Rev Lucas Gcaba. During her childhood, her family frequently moved between towns, from Muden to Greytown and on to Kopleegte where she attended primary school.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts and an Honours degree in Curationis from the University of South Africa as well as a Master of Arts in Curationis from the University of Pretoria. From the Edendale Nursing College, she obtained both a Diploma in Midwifery and a Diploma in Nursing Science. At the time of her appointment as Minister of Transport in March 2023, she was studying for a master's degree in political sciences from the University of South Africa. Chikunga worked as a nurse in Mpumalanga. Chikunga was also an ex officio member of the Regional Executive Committee of the African National Congress Women's League. She is a former member of the ANC Provincial Executive Committee in Mpumalanga.

National government On 12 June 2012, Chikunga was appointed as Deputy Minister of Transport by president Jacob Zuma during his cabinet reshuffle. She remained as Deputy Minister of Transport after Zuma announced a major overhaul of his cabinet after being sworn in for a second term as president in May 2014. After Zuma resigned as president and was succeeded by Cyril Ramaphosa in February 2018, Chikunga remained as Deputy Minister of Transport.

In March 2018, it was reported that Chikunga was allegedly refusing to return two of her old official cars, a BMW X6 and a BMW GT, even after the Transport Department bought her two new official cars, a BMW X5 and a Jaguar F-Type. Chikunga was also accused of allowing a family member to fill up her petrol tank with the Avis petrol card of the state-hired car she was given.

Following the 2019 general election, Chikunga was appointed as Deputy Minister of the Public Service and Administration portfolio by Ramaphosa, while Dikeledi Magadzi took over as Deputy Minister of Transport. Chikunga was reappointed as Deputy Minister of Transport in a cabinet reshuffle in August 2021. Following the 2024 general election, she was appointed Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. Ramaphosa reshuffled his cabinet on 6 March 2023 during which he named Chikunga as Mbalula's successor as Transport Minister. Lisa Mangcu was appointed the new Deputy Minister of Transport. Chikunga and all the other newly appointed ministers and deputy ministers were sworn into office the following day by Chief Justice Ray Zondo in a ceremony at Tuynhuys.

On 24 March 2023, Chikunga denied claims by the Economic Freedom Fighters, an opposition party, that she sabotaged their National Shutdown protest on 20 March by instructing bus companies to cancel their services and not transport EFF supporters wanting to attend the protest.

Robbery On 6 November 2023, Chikunga was robbed at gunpoint by three masked individuals after her vehicle stopped along the N3 highway outside Johannesburg to change a tyre that hit a deliberately planted spike. In a parliamentary inquiry, she said that the robbers forced her bodyguards onto the floor and opened the car door before pointing a gun at her head and forcing her out. The robbers took her laptop and phone, as well as other personal effects and two of her bodyguards' pistols.

Personal life Chikunga's late husband's father was born in Malawi.