19 Facts About Lynne Brown

Lynne Brown was born on 26 September 1961 and is a South African politician who is a former Minister of Public Enterprises and former Premier of the Western Cape Province.

Lynne Brown was born in Cape Town and grew up in Mitchells Plain.

Lynne Brown was appointed Premier of the Western Cape following the resignation of Ebrahim Rasool in July 2008.

Lynne Brown is a member of the African National Congress and an elected member of its National Executive Committee in 2007 and 2012.

Lynne Brown is from a coloured background and was the fourth coloured premier of the Western Cape, the second from the ANC, and the first openly gay person to be appointed to a cabinet post in any African government.

Lynne Brown was a member of the United Women's Congress from 1985 to 1990, serving first as Education Officer and then as Provincial Secretary.

Lynne Brown was involved in the United Democratic Front from its formation in 1983 until its disbandment in 1991, serving as a member of its Finance Committee.

Lynne Brown joined the ANC in 1987 and was elected to the Provincial Executive Committee and Provincial Working Committee in 1999.

Lynne Brown has served as Western Cape Provincial Secretary of the ANC Women's League since 1990.

Lynne Brown was a board member of the National Literacy Project and is currently a board member of the Extramural Education Project.

Lynne Brown initiated and was director of the Women's College in 1990.

Lynne Brown was chairperson of the standing committees on Community Services and on Health and Welfare, and served as an ANC Whip and Chief Whip in the legislature.

Lynne Brown stood as the ANC's candidate as Mayor of Cape Town in 1999 and served as provincial Minister for finance, economic development and tourism until her elevation to the office of Premier in 2008.

Lynne Brown served as Leader of the Official Opposition from 2009 until May 2014, when she was appointed by former President Jacob Zuma to his cabinet as Minister of Public Enterprises.

Lynne Brown initially claimed the Eskom inquiry amounted to a kangaroo court after she was called a liar by Eskom board spokesman Khulani Qoma over her role in the state capture of the power utility.

Lynne Brown denied having read the Gupta emails despite receiving them from Natasha Mazzone, and denied that President Zuma had called her after meeting Zola Tsotsi, a meeting that led to the suspension of senior executives Tshediso Matona, Dan Marokane, Tsholofelo Molefe and Matshela Koko.

The State Capture Commission, better known as the Zondo Commission, found that Lynne Brown, whilst serving as the Minister of Public Enterprises, had between 2014 and 2015 appointed several people to the Board of Eskom with disregard to official vetting processes and that Lynne Brown had failed to consider the recommendations on the database of the Department of Public Enterprises.

Lynne Brown's actions were found to have culminated in the appointment of several persons with conflicts of interests and associations with Salim Essa and the Gupta family, and many with no prior experience as directors of any state-owned enterprise.

The Zondo Commission thus found that the evidence clearly showed Lynne Brown was familiar with Salim Essa and that she had cooperated in the capture of Eskom.