39 Facts About Mamphela Ramphele

Mamphela Aletta Ramphele is a South African politician, anti-apartheid activist, medical doctor and businesswoman.

Mamphela Ramphele was a partner of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, with whom she had two children.

Mamphela Ramphele is a former vice-chancellor at the University of Cape Town and a former managing director at the World Bank.

Mamphela Ramphele, a Mopedi, was born in the Bochum District in Northern Transvaal.

Mamphela Ramphele completed her schooling at Setotolwane High School in 1966 and subsequently enrolled for pre-medical courses at the University of the North.

Mamphela Ramphele contracted severe whooping cough at the age of three months.

In 1955, Mamphela Ramphele witnessed a conflict between a racist Afrikaner church minister and the people of the village of Kranspoort.

On completion of her schooling in 1966, in 1967, Mamphela Ramphele enrolled for pre-medical courses at the University of the North.

Mamphela Ramphele won the 1968 South African Jewish Women's Association Scholarship and the Sir Ernest Oppenheimer Bursary worth about R150 annually for the rest of her years at Medical School.

Biko and Mamphela Ramphele had two children during their affair; Lerato Biko, born in 1974, and Hlumelo Biko, born in 1978.

Mamphela Ramphele worked with the South African Students' Organisation, a breakaway from the National Union of South African Students that operated on English-speaking white campuses.

From 1970 onwards Mamphela Ramphele became increasingly drawn into political activism with Biko, Barney Pityana and other student activists at the Medical School.

Mamphela Ramphele was elected the chairperson of the local SASO branch.

Mamphela Ramphele began her medical internship at Durban's King Edward VIII Hospital, later transferring to Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth.

In 1974, Mamphela Ramphele was charged under the Suppression of Communism Act for being in possession of banned literature.

Mamphela Ramphele travelled extensively in the Eastern Cape, organising people to be drawn into community projects.

Mamphela Ramphele later established a home for herself in Lenyenye township near Tzaneen, although she remained under police surveillance.

Suzman assisted Mamphela Ramphele in securing a passport when Mamphela Ramphele travelled abroad.

Mamphela Ramphele enjoyed visits from Father Timothy Stanton; an Anglican priest who visited her and celebrated Eucharist with her.

Mamphela Ramphele left Lenyenye in 1984 to go to Port Elizabeth where she was offered a job at Livingstone Hospital.

Mamphela Ramphele was to work with him at the South African Labour and Development Research Unit as a research fellow.

Mamphela Ramphele joined the University of Cape Town as a research fellow in 1986 and was appointed as one of its deputy vice-chancellors in 1991.

Mamphela Ramphele was appointed to the post of vice-chancellor of the university in September 1996, thereby becoming the first black woman to hold such a position at a South African university.

In 1994, Mamphela Ramphele was a visiting scholar at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US.

In 2000, Mamphela Ramphele became one of the four managing directors of the World Bank.

Mamphela Ramphele was tasked with overseeing the strategic positioning and operations of the World Bank Institute as well as the vice-presidency of external affairs.

Mamphela Ramphele was the first South African to hold this position.

Mamphela Ramphele serves as a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, served as the director of The Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa and as a board member of the Anglo-American Corporation, non-executive director of Medi Clinic Holdings and Transnet.

Mamphela Ramphele served as a trustee for the Link-SA trust, a charitable organisation that raises money to subsidise the tertiary education of South Africa's brightest underprivileged students.

Mamphela Ramphele was on the board of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, an organisation that supports good governance and great leadership in Africa.

Mamphela Ramphele was voted 55th in the Top 100 Great South Africans in 2004.

Mamphela Ramphele is co-founder of ReimagineSA and in 2018 was voted co-president of The Club of Rome.

In 2013, Mamphela Ramphele expressed interest in South African politics and resigned as the chairperson of Gold Fields.

Some critics have challenged Mamphela Ramphele's drawing on Steve Biko's legacy in her political campaigns.

On 28 January 2014, Mamphela Ramphele accepted an invitation from the Democratic Alliance to stand as their presidential candidate in the 2014 general election.

On 31 January 2014, Mamphela Ramphele issued a statement saying that she would not take up Democratic Alliance party membership and would remain the leader of Agang South Africa, resulting in confusion.

On 2 February 2014, Helen Zille stated that Mamphela Ramphele had reneged on her agreement to stand as the Democratic Alliance's presidential candidate.

Mamphela Ramphele subsequently apologised for the reversal of her decision, saying that the timing was not right as the reaction to it had shown people were unable to overcome race-based party politics.

Mamphela Ramphele has received twenty-four honorary degrees and numerous awards, including:.