South African politician
Tsakani Goodness Shiviti (born 12 May 1991) is a South African politician who has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly since June 2024. She is also the deputy secretary-general of the ANC Youth League. In the National Assembly, she is the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation.
Early life and education
Born on 12 May 1991,[1] Shiviti was born and raised in Mapapila, a village in Malamulele in present-day Limpopo.[2] She and her six siblings were raised by her grandmother while their parents worked in Gauteng.[2] Her family is Tsonga.[2]
After high school, she left home without her parents' support to attend the University of Limpopo, enrolling with the assistance of the South African Students Congress (SASCO) and the money that she had saved as an amateur hairdresser.[2] She graduated with Bachelor of Arts in communications.[3] In the interim, she was elected as SASCO deputy president in 2016, at the height of the #FeesMustFall student protests.[2]
Political career
After her graduation, Shiviti served on the boards of the Small Enterprise Finance Agency and Small Enterprise Development Agency.[4] On 1 July 2023, she was elected as deputy secretary-general of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League, deputising secretary-general Mntuwoxolo Ngudle; at the same elective conference, Olga Seate was elected to the newly created position of second deputy secretary-general.[5][6]
In the May 2024 general election, Shiviti was elected to represent the ANC in the National Assembly of South Africa. She sits in the Portfolio Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, which, during its first meeting on 10 July 2024, unanimously elected her as its chairperson.[7] In that capacity, in November 2024, she expressed concern about the pace of South Africa's transition to electric vehicles, arguing that the market-wide transition should be preceded by a smaller pilot programme in government in order to avoid "real market disruption".[8] Later the same month the SABC quoted her encouraging attendees at a political rally in Mbombela to reclaim foreign-owned spaza shops.[9]
Personal life
Shiviti is Christian.[2]
References
External links