Themba Masuku
{{Short description|Eswatini politician (born 1950)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Themba Masuku
| image = Themba_Nhlanganiso_Masuku.jpg
| image_size =
| office = Acting Prime Minister of Eswatini
| term_start = 13{{fact|date=January 2025}} December 2020
| term_end = 19 July 2021
| monarch = Mswati III
| predecessor = Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini
| successor = Cleopas Dlamini
| office2 = Deputy Prime Minister of Eswatini
| term_start2 = 6 November 2018
| term_end2 = 13 November 2023
| monarch2 = Mswati III
| primeminister2 = Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini
himself {{small|(acting)}}
Cleopas Dlamini
| predecessor2 = Paul Dlamini
| successor2 = Thuli Dladla
| term_start3 = 2008
| term_end3 = 2013
| monarch3 = Mswati III
| primeminister3 = Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 = Paul Dlamini
| office4 = Minister for Finance
| term_start4 = November 1996
| term_end4 = November 1998
| predecessor4 = Derek von Wissel
| successor4 = John Philip Carmichael
| office5 = Minister for Economic Planning and Development
| term_start5 = 1993
| term_end5 = 1996
| office6 = Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives
| term_start6 = 1991
| term_end6 = 1993
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|7|7|df=y}}
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality =
| party = Independent
| alma_mater =
}}
Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku (born 7 July 1950)https://www.sardc.net/editorial/sadctoday/documents/pre/SADC_TODAY_vol_1_2_April_1997.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}} is a Swazi politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of Eswatini since 2018 and as Acting Prime Minister from 13{{fact|date=January 2025}} December 2020 to 16 July 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/news24/africa/news/eswatini-king-appoints-new-prime-minister-20210716|title = Eswatini king appoints new prime minister}} Earlier, he served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2008 until 2013.
Early life
Masuku was born on 7 July 1950. He received his Master of Science degree from the University of Missouri.
Career
In the 1990s, he filled various posts in the government of Swaziland, including Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Minister for Economic Planning and Development, and Minister of Finance from 1996 to 1998.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/8492/icode/|title=FAO - News Article: Swaziland's new Deputy Prime Minister hails from FAO|website=www.fao.org|access-date=2013-05-07|archive-date=2021-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412202841/http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/8492/icode/|url-status=dead}} He then worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as director of the liaison offices in Geneva and later New York. He was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in 2008{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/8492/icode/|accessdate=7 May 2013|title=Swaziland's new Deputy Prime Minister hails from FAO|date=12 November 2008|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations|archive-date=12 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412202841/http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/8492/icode/|url-status=dead}} by King Mswati III{{cite web|url=http://english.president.gov.tw/Default.aspx?tabid=491&itemid=21125|accessdate=7 May 2013|date=28 April 2010|title=President Ma meets Swaziland Deputy Prime Minister Themba N. Masuku|publisher=Office of the President, Republic of China (Taiwan)}} and served in that position until 2013, when he became the regional administrator for the Shiselweni district.
Masuku returned to his position as Deputy Prime Minister when Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini presented his cabinet in November 2018.[http://www.gov.sz/index.php/latest-news/2086-prime-minister-announces-new-cabinet Prime Minister announces new cabinet][http://www.gov.sz/index.php/component/content/article/123-public-works-a-transport/2096-honourable-chief-ndlaluhlaza-ndwandwe-officially-sworn-in-as-minister?Itemid=799 Honourable Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe officially sworn in as Minister of Public Works and Transport] He became acting prime minister after Dlamini's death on 13 December 2020.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAkNrU7W62M Eswatini Prime Minister dies from coronavirus infection in SA hospital] According to the Constitution of Eswatini, Themba Masuku was supposed to serve as Acting Prime Minister for a maximum period of three months.{{Cite web|title=Eswatini – Constitution – 2005|url=https://www.cabri-sbo.org/en/documents/the-constitution-of-the-kingdom-of-swaziland-act-2005|access-date=14 December 2020|website=Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative (CABRI)|language=en}} In June and July 2021, amidst police and army brutality, Masuku was criticized for his handling of the 2021 Eswatini Protests against the monarchy. In a sibaya on 16 July 2021, King Mswati replaced Masuku with Cleopas Dlamini as the new prime minister.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Prime ministers of Eswatini}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Masuku, Themba N.}}
Category:Prime ministers of Eswatini
Category:Deputy prime ministers of Eswatini
Category:Agriculture ministers of Eswatini
Category:Finance ministers of Eswatini
Category:Planning ministers of Eswatini
Category:Food and Agriculture Organization officials
Category:Swazi officials of the United Nations