10 Facts About Bulelani Ngcuka

Bulelani T Ngcuka is a South African attorney, prosecutor and activist, who served as the first Director of Public Prosecutions in South Africa, and is the husband of former Deputy President of South Africa Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

Bulelani Ngcuka, one of five siblings, was born in Middledrift, Eastern Cape and schooled in the former Bantustan of Transkei.

Bulelani Ngcuka finished his articles at GM Mxenge Law Firm in 1981, the same year Mxenge was assassinated by apartheid hit men.

Bulelani Ngcuka spent eight months in solitary confinement in 1981 and was jailed for three years in 1982 for refusing to give evidence in the political trial of Patrick Maqubele and others.

When Ngcuka was released in 1985, he left for Switzerland and worked at the equality of human rights branch of International Labour Organization in Geneva for two years.

Bulelani Ngcuka helped set up the National Association of Democratic Lawyers, an alternative legal association to the established white law societies.

In 1987, Bulelani Ngcuka became active in the United Democratic Front in the Western Cape and later became chairperson.

Bulelani Ngcuka was again detained for organising the Nelson Mandela birthday in 1988.

Bulelani Ngcuka was the leader of the ANC Preparatory Delegation to parliament from 1993 to 1994.

Bulelani Ngcuka was chairperson of Joint committee on Human Rights Commission and member of the following committees: Joint Committee on Public Protector, Steering Committee on Public Protector, Steering committee on implementation of the new constitution, Senate rules committee, Senate select committee on Justice, and the Judicial Services Commission.