Membathisi Mphumzi Shepherd Mdladlana

Former Minister of Labour

Date of Birth: 12/05/1952
Place of Birth: Keiskamahoek, Eastern Cape

Biography: Teacher, Vukukhanye Primary School, 1972-77; Deputy Principal, Vukukhanye Primary School, 1977-81; Regional Organiser, South Western African Teachers Association, 1980-83; Principal, Andile Primary School, 1982-94; Chairman, Democratic Teachers Union, 1985-90; National President, Democratic Teachers Union, 1990-04; Chairman, Constitutional Assembly Committee, 1994-96; President, SADTU, 1994-98; Deputy Chairman, National Portfolio Committee on Education, 1996-98; Minister of Labour, 1998 to date

Commentary: A former trades unionist, he has been described as an affable ex-teacher. His long tenure as Minister of Labour allowed him to see much change in South Africa.  In 2000 he was caught between Mbeki's reformism and union solidarity, he is an SACP member and this was key in his rewriting of labout laws at the time. He has faced criticism from business leaders for not moving further towards deregulation.
He faced up to big business again in 2006, when he threatened to name and shame companies that did not implement the Employment Equity Act and issued a list of 1,296 companies, 13 of them JSE listed, that had failed to submit their equity reports the year before.
Mdladlana was replaced as Labour Minister in November 2010, by Mildred Oliphant.