Steve Tshwete

Steve Vukhile Tshwete (12 November 1938 – 26 April 2002) was a South African politician and activist with the African National Congress. Involved in Umkhonto we Sizwe, Tshwete was imprisoned by the apartheid authorities on Robben Island from February 1964 to 1978. Tshwete resumed activities with the ANC and become a regional coordinator for the new United Democratic Front. He later lived in exile in Zambia. After the first free elections in South Africa in 1994, he became the new government's first Sports Minister and later was Minister of Safety and Security.

Early life Tshwete was born in Springs, East Rand, on 12 November 1938 to Xhosa parents. He spent his prison time on Robben Island and completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English and Philosophy from University of South Africa (UNISA). On Robben Island, with his interest in rugby, he organised the prisoners into rugby teams and created a league. The ANC National Executive Committee distanced themselves from the attacks in August 1988 after the attacks had been condemned by anti-apartheid leaders and church groups usually sympathetic to the ANC cause.

He returned to South Africa after the ANC was unbanned in 1990 as a member of their National Executive and negotiating team. After the ANC won the first free election in 1994, Nelson Mandela appointed him as his Minister of Sports, a position he held from 1994 until 1999. He started the first Governor's Cup Yacht Race from Cape Town to Saint Helena in 1996.

On the retirement of Nelson Mandela, he served in Thabo Mbeki's first government as the Minister of Safety and Security from 1999 until his death in April 2002. He was tasked with restoring the morale of an undermanned, underpaid police force beset with a political history of maintaining apartheid, riddled with corruption and a huge escalation of violent crime in the country. They were identified as Cyril Ramaphosa, Tokyo Sexwale and Mathews Phosa.

Honours Steve Tshwete Local Municipality in Mpumalanga Province is named after him.

Order of Luthuli in silver (2004)

Death It is said he had developed back pain back in March 2002 and began using a wheelchair. He was survived by his wife Pamela, sons Lindela, Mayihlome and daughters Mandlakazi and Yonda. He was honoured with a state funeral on 4 May 2002 and national flags were flown at half-mast.