Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri

Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri
Portrait of Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri
President of South Africa
Acting
In office 24 September 2008 – 25 September 2008
Appointed by	Cabinet of South Africa
Preceded by	Thabo Mbeki
Succeeded by	Kgalema Motlanthe
Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services
In office 17 June 1999 – 6 April 2009
President	Thabo Mbeki Kgalema Motlanthe
Preceded by	Jay Naidoo
Succeeded by	Siphiwe Nyanda
2nd Premier of the Free State
In office 18 December 1996 – 15 June 1999
Preceded by	Mosiuoa Lekota
Succeeded by	Winkie Direko
Personal details
Born	(1937-09-18)18 September 1937 Kroonstad, South Africa
Died	6 April 2009(2009-04-06) (aged 71) Pretoria, South Africa
Political party	African National Congress
Alma mater	University of Fort Hare Rutgers University
Occupation	Politician teacher

Ivy Florence Matsepe-Casaburri (18 September 1937 – 6 April 2009) was a South African politician. She was the 2nd premier of the Free State and South Africa's Minister of Communications from 1999 until her death. She served briefly as South Africa's acting president in 2005,^[1] when both President Thabo Mbeki and the deputy president were outside the country. Furthermore, she was chosen by the cabinet to be the constitutional and official head of state in an interim capacity for 14 hours on 25 September 2008, between the resignation of Thabo Mbeki and the taking of office by Kgalema Motlanthe.^[2][3] She was the first woman to have held the post of president in South Africa and the first woman to be head of state of South Africa since Elizabeth II's reign as Queen of South Africa ended in 1961. She remained the only woman with this distinction until July 2021, when Angie Motshekga was appointed acting president.

Early life

Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri was born on 18 September 1937 in Kroonstad in the Free State. Her father was a principal, musician and sportsman and her mother was a teacher, and a social and community worker. She completed her primary education in Kroonstad and attended secondary school in Kwa-Zulu Natal.^[4] She then obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Fort Hare University and proceeded to teach in KZN for two years.^[5]

Exile

At the age of 28, she went into exile and would return to South Africa only 25 years later. She first worked in Swaziland as a teacher for at least ten years before she moved to the United States.^[6] During her time in exile, she furthered her education. She went to the United States where she undertook her postgraduate studies. She worked for the United Nations Institute for Namibia as a lecturer and registrar, based in Zimbabwe.^[7] She obtained her PhD in sociology from Rutgers University–New Brunswick.^[8]

Professional life

She served briefly as South Africa's acting president in 2005,^[9] when both President Thabo Mbeki and the deputy president were outside the country. Furthermore, she was chosen by the cabinet to be the constitutional and official head of state in an interim capacity for 14 hours on 25 September 2008, between the resignation of Thabo Mbeki and the taking of office by Kgalema Motlanthe.^[10][11] She was the first and to date only woman to have held the post of president in South Africa and the first woman to be head of state of South Africa since Elizabeth II's reign as Queen of South Africa in 1961.

Offices held

• Minister of Communications in the South African Government from June 1999 to April 2009
• Member of Parliament in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2009
• Premier of the Free State from 1996 to 1999; first female premier
• Chairperson of Sentech, the first black person and woman
• Chairperson of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC); the first female and black chairperson
• Lecturer at Rutgers University
• Associate professor at Rutgers University
• Senior lecturer and registrar at the United Nations Institute for Namibia
• Director for Council for Scientific and Industrial Research^[12]

Death

She died of natural causes on 6 April 2009 during her term in office as the Minister of Communications.^[13]

References

1. Acting President for period 14 September to 18 September 2005 Archived 4 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
2. Quintal, Angela (26 September 2008). "No wars, no drama for Matsepe-Casaburri". The Mercury. p. 2. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
3. Chikane, Frank (28 April 2012). "Emotional farewell as Mbeki holds last cabinet meeting". Daily Nation. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
4. Ludman, Barbara; Stuber, Paul (2004). The Mail & Guardian A-Z of South African Politics: The Esseantial Handbook. Johannesburg: Jacana Media. pp. 70–71. ISBN 1770090231.
5. "Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri". SA history.org. SAHO. 17 February 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
6. Jalalzai, Farida (2013). Shattered, Cracked, or Firmly Intact? Women and the Executive Glass Ceiling Worldwide. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 190. ISBN 9780199943531.
7. "Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri". Sabinet history.org. SAHO. 17 February 2011. Archived from the original on 18 September 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
8. Vecchiatto, Paul (7 April 2009). "Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri". IT Web. IT Web. Retrieved 5 January 2018.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
9. Acting President for period 14 September to 18 September 2005 Archived 4 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
10. Quintal, Angela (26 September 2008). "No wars, no drama for Matsepe-Casaburri". The Mercury. p. 2. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
11. Chikane, Frank (28 April 2012). "Emotional farewell as Mbeki holds last cabinet meeting". Daily Nation. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
12. "Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri". Who’s Who SA. Who’s Who SA. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
13. "Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri dead at 71". Mail&Guardian. Mail&Guardian. 7 April 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2018.

External links

• "Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri". Who's Who of Southern Africa.
• Matsepe-Casaburri dies in hospital – Obituary

Political offices
Preceded by Thabo Mbeki	President of South Africa Acting 2008	Succeeded by Kgalema Motlanthe
Preceded by Jay Naidoo	Minister of Communications 1999–2009	Succeeded by Siphiwe Nyanda
Preceded by Mosiuoa Lekota	Premier of the Free State 1996–1999	Succeeded by Winkie Direko