Sisisi Tolashe (Nokuzola Tolashe): Age, family, appointment, pictures, net worth
Sisisi Tolashe went from being voted out of her leadership role in 2015 to being the frontrunner for the presidential spot at the 2023 ANCWL elective conference, complete with the support of Ramaphosa and his allies. This is her political comeback story.
Source: Getty Images
The 2023 ANCWL conference is the first elective conference since 2015, where Bathabile Dlamini was voted president. However, the longest-sitting president was Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who served for 10 years from 1993 to 2003.
Sisisi Tolashe's profile summary and bio
| Full name | Nokuzola Gladys Tolashe |
| Date of birth | 21 December 1959 |
| Age | 63 years old (as of July 2023) |
| Birth sign | Sagittarius |
| Place of birth | Queenstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| Current residence | Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Hair colour | Grey |
| Gender | Female |
| Education | Matric |
| Profession | President of the ANC Women's League |
| Social media | None |
| Political party | African National Congress |
Sisisi Tolashe's biography
Nokuzola Gladys Tolashe is also known as Sisisi Tolashe. She was born on 21 December 1959 in Queenstown (now Komani), Eastern Cape, South Africa and will turn 64 in December 2023. Nokuzola's zodiac sign is Sagittarius.
There is no information about the ANC Eastern Cape member's parents, siblings and marital status.
Source: Getty Images
Sisisi Tolashe's career and party
The newly elected ANC Women's League (ANCWL) president started as an activist and a Congress of South African Students member in the 1980s. In 2001, she was sworn into the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, filling a vacancy in the caucus of her political party, the ANC.
Sisisi Tolashe's previous office
Below is a summary of Sisisi Tolashe's previous office and roles:
| Year | Office/Role |
| 2001-2008 | Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature |
| 2008-2015 | ANCWL Secretary-General |
| 2016-2018 | National Assembly |
| 2018-2019 | Mayor of the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality |
| 2019-2022 | National Assembly |
| March 2023 | Deputy Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities |
| July 2023 | President of the ANCWL |
According to sources, Tolashe served as ANCWL's Secretary-General from 2008 to 2015. After that, she was a member of the National Assembly from September 2016 to February 2018.
Source: Getty Images
After leaving parliament in 2018, Gladys accepted her election as Executive Mayor of the Enoch Mgijima local municipality. She faced fraud and corruption charges due to the municipality's failure to deliver services and pay off their debt, resulting from irregular expenditures of over R3 million.
Nokuzola returned to parliament in 2019 and served on different portfolio committees, including transport, public works, infrastructure, and public accounts.
Source: Getty Images
In March 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced changes to the National Executive and Tolashe was revealed as the Deputy Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.
Four months later, in a landslide victory, Sisisi was elected President of the ANCWL. The former mayor received 1,729 votes, while her opposition, Bathabile Dlamini, received 170 votes and Thembeka Mchunu received 1,038.
Sisisi Tolashe's rise to prominence within the ANCWL ranks started when she was elected secretary-general in 2008. Although she was ousted seven years later and served as a backbencher for a few years, she returned to the National Assembly as a deputy minister in March 2023. She finally clinched the presidential position in July 2023.
READ ALSO: Paul Shipokosa Mashatile's biography: age, education, qualifications
Briefly.co.za published the biography of the newly-elected deputy president of the African National Congress, Paul Mashatile. He has been active in politics since his student years and has served in several positions within the ANC administration.
In 1996, his appointment as MEC for Transport and Public Works attracted other minor positions in the provincial government, giving him the necessary experience and qualifications to serve as the Deputy President of South Africa.
Source: Briefly News
