Who is Nomakhosazana Meth? Meet South Africa's Labour Minister

Nomakhosazana Meth has served South Africa at the local, provincial, and national levels. The Eastern Cape native was appointed the Minister of Employment and Labour in July 2024, a role she said she was not expecting but was ready to work.

Key takeaways

• Meth is one of 74 children of Nkosi Cromwell Diko, a former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in Transkei. 
• She holds multiple qualifications from the University of Zululand, the National School of Government, the University of Hare, and the University of Pretoria.
• Meth previously served as the Eastern Cape MEC for Health and as the mayor of the OR Tambo District Municipality. 

Nomakhosazana Meth's profile summary

Nomakhosazana Meth's father was jailed on Robben Island

Meth was raised in Mowa, a village in Ntabankulu, in the Eastern Cape Province, by parents Nkosi Cromwell Diko and Nomfanelo Lucy Diko. Nkosi was a Mpondo senior traditional leader of the Maci royal clan. He also served as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in Transkei in the cabinet of Kaiser Daliwonga Matanzima.

Nkosi Cromwell was assassinated in 1985 after joining the ANC and being jailed on Robben Island. The Cromwell Diko Foundation was launched in East London, Eastern Cape, in 2016 in his honour. Minister Nomakhosazana is the foundation's patron.

Meth grew up in a polygamous home

Nomakhosazana's father, Nkosi Cromwell, had seven wives and welcomed 74 children. Her mother, Nomfanelo, was the second wife with eight children.

After Nkosi's death, Nomfanelo was left to raise Nomakhosazana and her seven siblings, ensuring they were educated. She passed away in June 2019 at 80. During's her funeral, Meth lauded her mother for tolerating polygamy and giving them a better life. 

She made many sacrifices and endured many hardships — She made sure that her children achieved a tertiary education...She was my pillar of strength, the well of wisdom where I quenched my thirst.

Nomakhosazana lost her sons in a tragic accident

Little is known about Nomakhosazana Meth's husband, but she suffered double tragedy in January 2019 when she lost her two sons. 18-year-old Bradley Meth and 21-year-old Ndipheleke Diko were travelling in a double-cab bakkie when they were involved in a fatal car crash between Mthatha and Viedgesville in the Eastern Cape.

The boys had just received their matric pass. Nomakhosazana's lastborn, Bradley, had matriculated from Khanyisa Senior Secondary and wanted to be an architect while Ndipheleke had matriculated from Mthatha College and wanted to pursue civil engineering.

Ndipheleke was Meth's nephew who she adopted at seven after his parents died. She remembered them as sweet boys.

They had love amazingly...I miss my boys very much. At times, it seems it is just a bad dream.

Nomakhosazana Meth was empowered through education

Nomakhosazana Meth has obtained several qualifications over the years from SA's top universities. She holds a Certificate in South African Government Law from the University of Zululand and a Certificate in Education and Empowerment Program (EEP) from the National School of Government.

Meth also studied at the University of Hare from where she got an Advanced Certificate in Local Government Law and Administration and later obtained a BA Honours degree in Public Administration. She earned her Certificate in Executive Municipal Leadership Development Programme from the University of Pretoria.

Nomakhosazana Meth has built a distinguished political career

Meth started her career at the local level, serving as the Council Speaker of the OR Tambo District Municipality and as a member of the Mayoral Committee. She was the Chairperson of the South African Local Government Association, Eastern Cape, from 2011 to 2016. 

The Minister was appointed chairperson of the Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council in 2019 and served until 2021. She also joined the provincial government in 2019 as a member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature and later served as the province's Member of the Executive for Health. 

Nomakhosazana became an MP in 2024. President Cyril Ramaphosa subsequently appointed her the Minister of Employment and Labour in the Government of National Unity, replacing Thulas Nxesi. She is also a member of the National Executive Council of the ANC.

How Nomakhosazana is tackling SA's high unemployment rate

South Africa's unemployment rate is still high, standing at 31.9% in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey. When Meth took over the Employment and Labour Ministry in July 2024, she acknowledged the persisting problem.

These statistics should remind us that the stakes are still high, and we must hasten to strengthen the implementation of interventions to dent the unemployment rate.

The Ministry has implemented initiatives like the Labour Activation Programme and the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, but the unemployment crisis still stands.

In February 2025 during the G20 technical meet, Meth announced the Nelson Mandela Bay G20 Goal on Youth Employment. The initiative will build on the Antalya Goal to reduce the number of youths 'Not in Education, Employment, or Training' (NEET) by 5% by 2030.

Nomakhosazana Meth's journey to the top has not been easy after suffering personal tragedies. She still has the heavy and complex task of resolving South Africa's unemployment problem.

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Source: Briefly News