Lindiwe Mazibuko is an influential and respectable South African politician. Although most people get to recognize her only as a politician and former member of the South African Parliament, she is also an author, academician, and public speaker among other things.
Lindiwe rose to the ranks of the South African political class to become the leader of the opposition in the parliament before she finally bowed out of politics in 2014 to continue with her education. Because of her impact in the political sphere, her name is still being mentioned years later.
Early Life and Educational Pursuit of the Well-read Lindiwe Mazibuko
Born on April 9, 1980, in Swaziland, Lindiwe Mazibuko who is from a mixed-race family was raised in KwaZulu-Natal By her parents.
With a banker father and a nurse mother, life at their KwaZulu natal home was quite modest. These surroundings and the influence of her parents may have had a lasting impact on her strong work ethic and burning desire to stand up for the common citizens.
In pursuance of her education, one can dare to say the former DA top woman is one of the most read politicians in South Africa. She got her secondary education at the St Mary’s Diocesan School for Girls from where she matriculated in 1997. Next, she moved to the University of KwaZulu – Natal where she obtained a Bachelor of Music degree. She went on to get another Bachelor’s in Arts (French, Classics, Media & Writing) from the University of Cape Town. Not done, she proceeded to the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
In 2015, she obtained a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Harvard Kennedy School, and the next year, she became an Author-in-Residence at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. While at Harvard, she was an Edward S. Mason Fellow. Lindiwe was also a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics.
Against her name is three degrees, a Master’s, and many other academic achievements.
She Set Many Records In Her Political Career
Lindiwe graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2007 and immediately afterwards, she began her political journey first as the DA’s researcher in the South African parliament. In 2008, she was the party’s national media liaison. That was also the year she decided to throw in her hat into the Parliamentary race. In the 2009 elections, Mazibuko was successfully elected as a member of the parliament. She was also appointed her party’s National Spokesperson and Shadow Deputy Minister for Communications.
Lindiwe Mazibuko soon became the first non-white person to lead the Democratic Alliance (DA) party in the South African parliament after she got elected on 27 October 2011. She was also the youngest ever-parliamentary leader in the country. Even as she was rising rather fast in the country’s polity, she resigned in 2014. Before this, she was already losing it with the DA, as many members have accused her of arrogance and disrespect. After the resignation, the woman decided on going back to continue with her education.
While she was in the parliament, she tackled diverse issues including gender equality, youth employment, clean government, and LGBTI rights amongst other things.
Her Feminism and Married Life
Lindiwe Mazibuko describes herself as an ardent feminist. Beyond just describing herself in that manner, she has also leaned in the direction with her ideas on social media as well as her stance on issues, always centering on equality across gender and racial divides.
While many things about Lindiwe Mazibuko can be known easily, what the woman has kept hidden is her married life. Nevertheless, as it seems, the woman is yet to have a husband because she is not married.
It is worthy of note that her feminist views may not be connected to why she is still not married.
Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Her
9. She has a Good Temperament
Despite being named South Africa’s most influential Woman in 2012, she remains a curt and focused leader who does not let popularity get in the way of impeccable performance. Her humility is commendable to many of the country’s youth.
8. She is an Eloquent Multilingual
With a speciality course in French from the University of Kwa Zulu Natal, she also has a good command of English and Afrikaans to the top-notch writing expression level. These impressive set of skills make her an excellent communicator and a very outspoken opponent any rival would cringe to engage.
7. She is A Social Reformer
Many political careers are marked by a strong set of loyal assertions towards the mother party. Lindiwe’s deep-seated conviction and solid stand are mostly issue-based. Her active involvement as the DA’s parliamentary leader and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly was purely in line with her own set of convictions and ideologies. Activists are notoriously known to be naysayers for the sake of it, but Lindiwe is a visionary with a mind of her own.
6. She Is Open-Minded
Her solid advocacy for matters of national concern may fool anyone into thinking that she has a one-tracked mind. This false notion may be trounced once the nature of that unwavering conviction is understood. Her illustrious political career began with a researcher position she acquired at the Democratic Alliance party. An in-depth perusal of the DA’s core policies and programs of action brought out common ground with her own beliefs. Further steps to understand her new-found commitment in volumes of newspaper cuttings just goes to show her objectivity. It is from this slow and gradual learning curve that the future was charted.
5. Her Swaziland Heritage
Being a fully South African national, Lindiwe Mazibuko traces her origins from the little enclave country of Swaziland. Her parents moved to South Africa while she was 6 and made a permanent residence there.
4. A Fervent Tweeter
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/wwDaWbOdpg
— Lindiwe Mazibuko (@LindiMazibuko) June 29, 2020
From seemingly trivial matters like favorite eatery spots and weather to grave matters like worker union rights, one can always expect to know her sentiments. This fact perhaps has made her strike an easy accord with many of the youth supporters and adversaries alike. Known for her sharp tongue and stimulating responses, her followers are treated to a series of unfiltered but conscious feedback on any matter.
3. Her Deceptive Stature
At a height of 5 feet, more often than not Lindiwe’s Parliament opponents resort to personal attacks on her stature and weight as well as hair and dressing rather than issues at hand. Such attacks barely get across her thick skin and unbeatable resolve to bear any kind of scrutiny with great patience and restraint. This is the ultimate show of intelligence and courage under fire. Her responses have won praise from a deeply conservative patriarchal society.
2. She had a White Secretary
This may come off as an ironic contrast as this parliamentarian has been blessed with rich dark skin. This snappy combination has been a point of many puns and it is among the first things that strike any visitor who graces her busy office. Race relations are constantly improving since the apartheid days for a better and better reformed South Africa.
1. She Worked as “Tea girl” at Starbucks
Lindiwe Mazibuko spent almost a whole year working at a Starbucks outlet in London’s Notting Hill. This stint earned her a living that enabled her to stay in Europe and acquire that uncanny English accent that is always detectable from a sea of other voices. Ambition and maneuverability to fit in seamlessly despite the current condition have enabled her to rise to the stellar status in her home country.
Critics contend with the fact that this exceptional woman has a lot more to offer in the heated political and leadership scene. Potential movers and shakers predictions include this upcoming individual as a person worth watching in the near future.
