15 Facts About Thabang Makwetla

Thabang Sampson Makwetla is a South African politician who was the third Premier of Mpumalanga between 2004 and 2009.

Thabang Sampson Phathakge Makwetla was born on 18 May 1957 in Lydenburg, a mining town in the Eastern Transvaal province, now known as Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Thabang Makwetla fled to Lesotho to complete his schooling and joined the ANC's military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe, later serving as an instructor and political commissar in the organization.

Thabang Makwetla returned to Africa and worked as treasurer for the South African Communist Party in the Botswanan region from 1981 to 1990.

Thabang Makwetla is a member of the African National Congress, a centre-left democratic-socialist party, and is working under the cabinet of South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, who took office after Jacob Zuma's resignation on 14 February 2018.

Thabang Makwetla was Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans from 2019 to 2024, a role he previously served in between 2009 and 2014.

Thabang Makwetla has served as the Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services.

Thabang Makwetla delivered a noted progress report to ANC Representatives on 9 March 2012 in Johannesburg, during his term as Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.

Thabang Makwetla has denounced the rampant corruption and immorality of South African governments while in office.

In late March 2016, articles were released by the Dutch news outlet The Edge Search, as well as the South African paper Independent Online, which both claimed that Thabang Makwetla had been "fobbing off the government" to pay for his alcohol addiction.

Thabang Makwetla had failed to disclose that Bosasa installed a security system gratis at his home in January 2016; when questioned by the committee, he said that there was no conflict of interest because he had intended to pay Bosasa for the service, though Bosasa head Gavin Watson had ultimately refused to accept payment from him.

When Thabang Makwetla testified about the incident at the Zondo Commission in July 2021, he continued to deny any wrongdoing.

Thabang Makwetla was alone in his Range Rover when four masked men entered the vehicle and, holding him at gunpoint, drove him to a nearby informal settlement.

Thabang Makwetla was robbed of his vehicle, credit cards, and cellphone, and forced to withdraw a large amount of cash from his accounts, before the robbers dropped him off at Kgabalatsane, a stretch of veld near Brits and Garankuwa.

The incident lasted for approximately three hours, though Thabang Makwetla spent the next four hours knocking on doors before he was able to contact the police for help.