Peggy Nkonyeni
{{Short description|South African politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Peggy Nkonyeni
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| office = KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Finance
| premier = Nomusa Dube-Ncube
| term_start = 11 August 2022
| term_end = 14 June 2024
| predecessor = Nomusa Dube-Ncube
| successor = Francois Rodgers
| office1 = KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison
| premier1 = Sihle Zikalala
| term_start1 = 9 March 2021
| term_end1 = 11 August 2022
| predecessor1 = Bheki Ntuli
| successor1 = Sipho Hlomuka
| office2 = KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works
| premier2 = Sihle Zikalala
| term_start2 = 27 May 2019
| term_end2 = 9 March 2021
| predecessor2 = Ravi Pillay
| successor2 = Jomo Sibiya
| office3 = Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
| term_start3 = 27 February 2018
| term_end3 = 7 May 2019
| predecessor3 = Beatrice Ngcobo
| successor3 =
| office4 = KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Education
| premier4 = Senzo Mchunu
| term_start4 = 7 October 2013
| term_end4 = 6 June 2016
| predecessor4 = Senzo Mchunu
| successor4 = Mthandeni Dlungwane
| office5 = Speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
| term_start5 = 6 May 2009
| term_end5 = 7 October 2013
| predecessor5 = Willies Mchunu
| successor5 = Lydia Johnson
| office6 = KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health
| premier6 = S'bu Ndebele
| term_start6 = 2004
| term_end6 = 2009
| predecessor6 = Zweli Mkhize{{cite web |title=KZN GETS NEW HEALTH MEC |url=http://www.kznhealth.gov.za/mediarelease/2004/newminister.pdf |website=KZN Health |access-date=13 March 2021}}
| successor6 = Sibongiseni Dhlomo
| birthname = Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|09|08|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Oshabeni, Port Shepstone, South Africa
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| nationality = South African
| party = African National Congress
South African Communist Party
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Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni (born 8 September 1961) is a South African politician and educator. A member of the African National Congress, she was the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Finance in KwaZulu-Natal from August 2022 until June 2024.
In November 2004, she was appointed as the MEC for Health. Nkonyeni was elected as the speaker of the legislature after the 2009 general election. In 2013, Nkonyeni was made MEC for Education, a position she held until she was demoted from the executive council in 2016. She was sworn in as a member of the National Assembly of South Africa, the lower house of parliament, in February 2018. Following the 2019 general election, Nkonyeni returned to the KwaZulu-Natal legislature and was appointed MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works. In March 2021, she was appointed MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison.
Early life and career
Nkonyeni was born on 8 September 1961{{Cite web |title=Chairperson of Committees: Mrs P Nkonyeni |url=http://www.kznparliament.gov.za/members/chair_comms.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040920194357/http://www.kznparliament.gov.za/members/chair_comms.htm |archive-date=20 September 2004 |access-date=1 February 2023 |website=KwaZulu-Natal Parliament}} in Oshabeni outside Port Shepstone in the Natal Province. She trained to be a secondary school teacher and taught from 1989 to 1999.{{cite news |last1=Mncube |first1=Bhekisisa |title=New KZN Education MEC announced |url=https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/new-kzn-education-mec-announced |access-date=13 March 2021 |agency=South African Government News Agency |date=7 October 2013}}
Political career
A member of the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party, Nkonyeni was elected to the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature in the 1999 general election as an ANC representative. From 1999 to 2004, she served as an ANC whip and chairperson of the Parliamentary Women's Caucus. Before her appointment to the Executive Council, she was chairperson of committees in the legislature.
In November 2004, premier S'bu Ndebele reshuffled his Executive Council and appointed Nkonyeni as the MEC responsible for the provincial Department of Health. Her tenure as Health MEC was controversial. Nkonyeni was seen as a HIV/AIDS denialist. She denounced the World Health Organization (WHO) for not providing "a clear message on the role of nutrition in delaying the progression of HIV to AIDS" in 2005. Nkonyeni also claimed that zidovudine (AZT), a medication for preventing and treating HIV/AIDS, was "toxic" and that antiretroviral medication had severe side effects. She promoted Ubhejane, an untested, expensive traditional herbal medicine used by many to treat HIV/AIDS. In December 2008, Nkonyeni and five others were arrested by the Scorpions and charged with corruption, fraud and racketeering involving the unneeded purchase of equipment at inflated prices. The charges against her were later dropped.{{cite news |title=Quack is back: Neliswa ‘Peggy’ Nkonyeni, KZN’s AIDS denialist, now in charge of education |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-10-14-quack-is-back-neliswa-peggy-nkonyeni-kzns-aids-denialist-now-in-charge-of-education/ |access-date=13 March 2021 |agency=The Daily Maverick |date=14 October 2013}}
After the 2009 general election, Nkonyeni was elected as the speaker of the provincial legislature. She held this position until October 2013, when she was made the MEC for Education. She took over from Senzo Mchunu, who was elected premier.{{cite news |title=KZN names new education MEC |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/kzn-names-new-education-mec-1588039 |access-date=13 March 2021 |agency=IOL |date=7 October 2013}}{{cite news |title=Nkonyeni appointed KZN education MEC |url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2013-10-07-nkonyeni-appointed-kzn-education-mec/ |access-date=13 March 2021 |newspaper=SowetanLIVE |date=7 March 2013}} After the 2014 general election, Nkonyeni remained in her position as MEC for Education.{{cite news |last1=Mchunu |first1=Senzo |title=The new KZN cabinet - Senzo Mchunu |url=https://www.politicsweb.co.za/archive/the-new-kzn-cabinet--senzo-mchunu |access-date=13 March 2021 |agency=Politicsweb |date=26 May 2014}} In 2016, Willies Mchunu took over as premier and Nkonyeni was recalled as an MEC. Mthandeni Dlungwane replaced her as Education MEC.{{cite news |title=Updated: Cabinet reshuffle in KwaZulu-Natal |url=https://www.enca.com/south-africa/cabinet-reshuffle-in-kwazulu-natal |access-date=13 March 2021 |newspaper=eNCA |date=6 June 2016}}
On 27 February 2018, she was sworn in as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa for the ANC, replacing the late Beatrice Ngcobo.{{cite web |title=NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SWEARS IN NINE NEW MPS |url=https://www.parliament.gov.za/press-releases/national-assembly-speaker-swears-nine-new-mps |website=Parliament of South Africa |access-date=13 March 2021}} She returned to the provincial legislature after the 2019 general election and was appointed MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works by the newly elected premier, Sihle Zikalala.{{cite news |last1=Harper |first1=Paddy |title=Zikalala appoints youthful cabinet in KZN |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2019-05-27-zikalala-appoints-youthful-cabinet-in-kzn/ |access-date=13 March 2021 |agency=Mail & Guardian |date=27 May 2019}}
On 9 March 2021, Nkonyeni was appointed MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, replacing the late Bheki Ntuli, as part of a mini reshuffle done by Zikalala.{{cite news |last1=Magubane |first1=Thami |title=KZN Premier appoints new MEC for Transport following Bheki Ntuli’s death |url=https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/kzn-premier-appoints-new-mec-for-transport-following-bheki-ntulis-death-70eb1f83-ac85-4430-a624-e57b53814e57 |access-date=14 March 2021 |agency=IOL |date=10 March 2021}}
On 11 August 2022, Nkonyeni was named MEC for Finance by the newly elected premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube.{{Cite web |last=Rall |first=Se-Anne |title=KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube announces 6 new MECs in cabinet shuffle |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/kzn-premier-nomusa-dube-ncube-announces-6-new-mecs-in-cabinet-shuffle-573ce954-9572-40a0-9654-e004846c9c2c |access-date=2022-08-11 |website=www.iol.co.za |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|np-nkonyeni|Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nkonyeni, Peggy}}
Category:People from Port Shepstone
Category:African National Congress politicians
Category:South African Communist Party politicians
Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2014–2019