Naledi Pandor to chair Nelson Mandela Foundation

Her appointment follows the retirement of board chair Njabulo Ndebele.

Naledi Pandor, a former cabinet minister in the South African government, has been appointed as the new chair of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The foundation confirmed the move on Monday in a statement.

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“Dr Pandor will become only the third person to hold the position since [former president] Nelson Mandela established the organisation in 1999,” the foundation said.

The late Jakes Gerwel served as the Foundation’s founding chair.

Pandor, who most recently served as minister of international relations and cooperation until the national and provincial elections in May this year, will begin her tenure on 1 October.

Her appointment follows the retirement of board chair Njabulo Ndebele, who served on the board for 25 years and as chair for more than 10 years.

“Dr Pandor offers the foundation just what it needs for its next development phase,” said Ndebele.

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The foundation said in its statement that Pandor worked closely with Mandela during South Africa’s first democratic administration in the 1990s and is one of South Africa’s longest-serving members of parliament.

Pandor, who holds an MA degree in linguistics from Stellenbosch University and a PhD in education from the University of Pretoria, was first appointed to the cabinet in 2004 under former president Thabo Mbeki when she served as minister of education.

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In 2009, former president Jacob Zuma appointed her as minister of science and technology.

She subsequently also served as minister of the home affairs and higher education and training portfolios respectively.

“In a world facing so many complex challenges, mobilising Madiba’s legacy becomes more important than ever,” said Pandor.

“I believe that the Nelson Mandela Foundation is doing critically important work in the social justice space, and I am looking forward to making a meaningful contribution.”

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