Thandi Modise
South African politician
Thandi Ruth Modise (born 25 December 1959) is a South African politician who served as the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans from 2021 to 2024. She was previously the Premier of the North West from 2010 to 2014, Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces from 2014 to 2019, and Speaker of the National Assembly from 2019 to 2021.
Modise has been a member of the African National Congress (ANC) since the 1976 Soweto uprising, when she dropped out of high school to join uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the ANC's armed wing, in exile. In 1978 she returned to South Africa as a trained guerrilla operative for MK and from 1980 to 1988 she was imprisoned under the Terrorism Act for her anti-apartheid activism.
Quotes
edit- We were quite calm about it. We had been forewarned that it was going to be rougher than usual.
- Every time I am thrown into a situation, I just say to myself: ‘I now need to understand the rules of this situation endingena kuso (which I am entering into) and take it from there.’
- Sometimes South Africa must not be scared to go back. Were we right when we outlawed [corporal] punishment for children at home and at school?
- I am not judging because the story is still unfolding and you don’t know if there are exaggerations.
- These three contribute to violence against children and women. For me, that is something which, if ever I retire, I would want to give my life to preventing.
- I sometimes laugh when members of Parliament have a party line and you can see the difference between the mouth and the eyes. You see someone is saying something but doesn’t really believe it.
- When you do not retain people, you create a situation where there is too much competition, where it is a case of: ‘I feel I need to impress my party bosses. I must be loud and prove that I can denigrate the other parties better.’
- More often, if it is men, they will start off by clearing their throat. Then you know that this is a party line and not a personal conviction.”
