DEPUTY MINISTER OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS: ZOU KOTA-FREDERICKS

The honourable Zou Kota-Fredericks is the South African Deputy Minister of Human Settlements. She started her career as part of the class of 1976 while she was a student at Langa High School. She was an active member of Ikhwezi Community centre in Gugulethu.

Ms Kota-Fredericks was a member of the Young Christian Workers (YCW).  She is a founding member of COSAS and was an active member of AZASO. A founding member of Cape Youth Congress (CAYCO). She was one of the founding members of the non-racial Women’s organisation known as United Women’s Organisation (U.W.O). She became its first Secretary. She was also a Publicity Secretary of the United Democratic Front in the Western Cape. She was detained under Section 29. She joined Umkhonto we Sizwe in Lesotho. She received military training in Angola and the Soviet Union. She was a Student Representative in the Island of Youth in Cuba. During the transitional negotiations in CODESA she was one of the delegates of the Gender Advisory Committee (GAC).

She was a Provincial Chairperson of the ANC Women’s League. She represented the Women’s League at the Progressive Women’s Movement. Since 1992 to date she is on the ANC Provincial Committee. She is serving on the Board of Ray Alexander Simon Foundation. She is a founding member of SEKUNJALO Investments (PTY) served on its board as Non-Executive Director from 1996 till May 2009.

Ms Kota-Fredericks has been a Member of Parliament since 1994 to date. She served on the Defence Portfolio Committee, Joint Standing Committee on Defence and Sport and Recreation Portfolio Committee. She was a Whip of the Defence Portfolio Committee. She has served on Ad-hoc Committee to select Gender Commissioners. She also served on the Ad-hoc Committee that formulated the legislation on Youth Commission and the selection of Youth Commissioners. She was also a Secretary of the Multi-Party Women’s Caucus. Ms Kota-Fredericks was part of a South African delegation that went to Switzerland led by President Nelson Mandela to bid for South Africa to host 2004 Olympic Games. She was also one of the delegates that represented Parliament in the International Women’s Fourth Conference in Beijing in 1995.

Ms Kota-Fredericks studied Social Work at the University of the Western Cape and also studied Bachelor of Social Sciences at the University of Cape Town. She holds (a) BACCALAURELIS ECONOMICAE (HONOURS) 2010 (UWC). (b) Advanced Diploma in Economic Policy 2008 (UWC). (c) Economics and Public Finance 2004 (UNISA), (d) Project Management University of Stellenbosch. (e) EPRI Economic Courses on the following (1) Implementing Sustainable strategies in a Globalising World 2003. (2) Achieving Globalisations Potential: Economic Strategies for Job Creation and Poverty Reduction 2004, UWC, Williams College and Finance, Development Training and Research Unit (FADRU). (f) Senior Executive Programme for Southern Africa known as COHORTS FIVE 2001, Wits Business School and Harvard Business School.