Peter Maluleka

Peter Maluleka
Member of the National Assembly
In office
23 April 2004 – 6 May 2014
ConstituencyGauteng
Personal details
Born
Holmes Peter Maluleka

(1954-03-05) 5 March 1954 (age 70)
CitizenshipSouth Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress

Holmes Peter Maluleka (born 5 March 1954) is a South African politician and businessman from Gauteng. A former Umkhonto we Sizwe operative, he represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 2004 to 2014. During that period, he chaired the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises from 2010 to 2014. He later served on the board of South African Airways.

Early life and activism

Born on 5 March 1954,[1] Maluleka began school in Eersterus until his family moved to Mamelodi in 1964.[2] After leaving school in 1973, he worked for Siemens Telecommunications for 11 years. In 1985, he started his own carpentry business.[2] Also in 1985, he formally joined the underground of the African National Congress (ANC) and began military training in Pretoria as a member of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK).[2] He was also deputy chairperson of the Mamelodi Civic Organisation.[3]

Church Street bombing

On 15 April 1988, on the instructions of MK, Maluleka exploded a limpet mine on Church Street in Pretoria, causing damage to several businesses in the vicinity. His commander, Odeille Maponya, died earlier on the same day when his own mine exploded prematurely.[4] He later said that the explosions were intended to make a political statement about the ANC's presence inside South Africa and to spearhead the movement's armed propaganda.[4]

In June 1988, he was arrested and put on trial along with 11 other activists. The secretary of the Mamelodi Civic Organisation, Stanza Bopape, was arrested in the same month and died in detention.[5] Maluleka was convicted in 1991 but, on the day of his sentencing, he was indemnified by the state as part of the confidence-building measures towards negotiations to end apartheid.[2] He later applied for and was granted amnesty for the bombing by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.[4]

Post-apartheid political career

After the abolition of apartheid in 1994, Maluleka joined the transitional local government in Pretoria, chairing the executive committee of the municipality (then called the Greater Pretoria Municipality).[2][3] After the December 2000 elections, in which Pretoria was merged into the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, he was elected as speaker of the new council, serving under Mayor Smangaliso Mkhatshwa.[6] He was also the chairperson of the ANC's branch in Pretoria.[2][6]

In the 2004 general election, Maluleka was elected to an ANC seat in the National Assembly, serving the Gauteng constituency.[1] He served two terms in the seat, gaining re-election in 2009.[3] In addition, in November 2010, the ANC nominated him to chair the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises; he replaced Vytjie Mentor, whose tenure had been marred by allegations that she had solicited a free trip to China from Transnet, one of the public enterprises under the committee's oversight.[7] He served as committee chairperson until the 2014 general election; though he stood for re-election to the National Assembly, he was ranked 34th on the ANC's regional party list for Gauteng and did not win a seat.[3]

Later career

In 2016, Maluleka was appointed to a three-year term as a non-executive director of South African Airways.[8][9] Although the board, under Dudu Myeni's leadership, was reshuffled a year later, he retained his seat.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b "General Notice: Notice 717 of 2004 - Electoral Commission – List of Names of Representatives in the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures in Respect of the Elections Held on 14 April 2004" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 466, no. 2677. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 20 April 2004. pp. 4–95. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Amnesty Hearing – Peter Maluleka". Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 25 January 1999. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Holmes Peter Maluleka". People's Assembly. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Application in terms of Section 18 of the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act, No 34. of 1995 – Peter Maluleka AC/99/0235". Department of Justice. 1999. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  5. ^ Cock, Jacklyn; Nathan, Laurie (1989). War and Society: The Militarisation of South Africa. New Africa Books. pp. 165–6. ISBN 978-0-86486-115-3.
  6. ^ a b "Tshwane's megacity mayor to work for a better life". News24. 12 December 2000. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  7. ^ "ANC reshuffles leadership in parliament". Sunday Times. 18 November 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Presidency on appointment Board of South African Airways Board". South African Government. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  9. ^ le Cordeur, Matthew (1 September 2016). "Myeni set to win SAA battle and remain board chair - report". Business. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Gigaba confirms Dudu Myeni axing, announces new board". The Mail & Guardian. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2023.