Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri | |
| President of South Africa | |
Acting | |
| In office 24 September 2008 – 25 September 2008 | |
| Appointed by | Cabinet of South Africa |
| Preceded by | Thabo Mbeki |
| Succeeded by | Kgalema Motlanthe |
| Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services | |
| In office 17 June 1999 – 6 April 2009 | |
| President | |
| Preceded by | Jay Naidoo |
| Succeeded by | Siphiwe Nyanda |
| 2nd Premier of the Free State | |
| In office 18 December 1996 – 15 June 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Mosiuoa Lekota |
| Succeeded by | Winkie Direko |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1937-09-18)18 September 1937 |
| Died | 6 April 2009(2009-04-06) (aged 71) Pretoria, South Africa |
| Party | African National Congress |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
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Ivy Florence Matsepe-Casaburri (18 September 1937 – 6 April 2009) was a South Africanpolitician. She was the 2nd premier of the Free State and South Africa'sMinister of Communications from 1999 until her death. She served briefly as South Africa's acting president in 2005,[1] when both President Thabo Mbeki and the deputy president were outside the country. Furthermore, she was chosen by thecabinet to be the constitutional and official head of state in an interim capacity for 14 hours on 25 September 2008, between the resignation ofThabo Mbeki and the taking of office byKgalema Motlanthe.[2][3] She was the first woman to have held the post of president in South Africa and the first woman to be head of state of South Africa sinceElizabeth II's reign asQueen of South Africa ended in 1961. She remained the only woman with this distinction until July 2021, whenAngie Motshekga was appointed acting president.
Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri was born on 18 September 1937 inKroonstad in theFree State. Her father was a principal, musician and sportsman and her mother was a teacher, and a social and community worker. She completed her primary education in Kroonstad and attended secondary school inKwa-Zulu Natal.[4] She then obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree fromFort Hare University and proceeded to teach in KZN for two years.[5]
At the age of 28, she went into exile and would return to South Africa only 25 years later. She first worked inSwaziland as a teacher for at least ten years before she moved to theUnited States.[6] During her time in exile, she furthered her education. She went to theUnited States where she undertook her postgraduate studies. She worked for theUnited Nations Institute forNamibia as a lecturer and registrar, based inZimbabwe.[7] She obtained her PhD in sociology fromRutgers University–New Brunswick.[8]
She served briefly as South Africa's acting president in 2005,[9] when both President Thabo Mbeki and the deputy president were outside the country. Furthermore, she was chosen by thecabinet to be the constitutional and official head of state in an interim capacity for 14 hours on 25 September 2008, between the resignation ofThabo Mbeki and the taking of office byKgalema Motlanthe.[10][11] She was the first and to date only woman to have held the post of president in South Africa and the first woman to be head of state of South Africa sinceElizabeth II's reign asQueen of South Africa in 1961.
She died of natural causes on 6 April 2009 during her term in office as the Minister of Communications.[13]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of South Africa Acting 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Communications 1999–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Premier of the Free State 1996–1999 | Succeeded by |