20 Facts About Pumza Dyantyi

Pumza Patricia Dyantyi was a South African politician and anti-apartheid activist.

Pumza Dyantyi served as the Member of the Executive Council for Health from 2014 to 2018, when she was appointed MEC for Social Development.

From 2019 Pumza Dyantyi was a member of the South African National Assembly.

Pumza Patricia Dyantyi was born on 5 September 1948 in Engcobo in South Africa's former Cape Province.

Pumza Dyantyi earned a diploma in general nursing at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg in 1971.

Pumza Dyantyi held a masters in business administration from Buckinghamshire New University.

Pumza Dyantyi was allocated to a ward where Nomazotsho Gqabi was the sister in charge.

Pumza Dyantyi became friends with Gqabi, and she introduced Dyantyi to her husband's associates.

Pumza Dyantyi was in the same class as Nosidima Pityana, a youth organiser, and they joined the South African Students' Organisation together.

Pumza Dyantyi formally went into exile in 1978 and did her military training in Benguela and Quibashe in Angola.

Pumza Dyantyi was stationed in Cuba and attended a medical school there.

Pumza Dyantyi then went to Zimbabwe and headed the Health Desk of the ANC.

Pumza Dyantyi returned to South Africa in 1991 and became a member of the ANC branch in Dutywa.

Pumza Dyantyi served on the board of directors of Mida Private School from 2007 to 2014 and as the chair of the board of directors at the Ntinga Development Agency from 2008 to 2014.

Pumza Dyantyi was a member of the following ANC structures: the provincial executive committee, the Veterans' League, the Women's League, the Eastern Cape health sub-committee, and the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association.

Pumza Dyantyi was then made Member of the Executive Council for Health by premier Phumulo Masualle.

Pumza Dyantyi said that the department did not have enough doctors and that the initiative was part of the provincial government's plan to provide experience.

On 9 May 2018, Pumza Dyantyi was appointed as MEC for Social Development, replacing Nancy Sihlwayi.

Pumza Dyantyi announced in January 2019 that the department was struggling to afford to take in new frail care patients and that the department was only referring "severely frail patients" to the department of health.

Pumza Dyantyi became a member of the Portfolio Committee on Health upon election.