Mayor's Biography

Council

Mayor's Biography

		Cllr.Letta Ntombi Shongwe was born into the Vilakazi family at Castlekop Farm, Barberton in Umjindi Local Municipality. She is the first born of the six children born out of the marriage between Mr. Simon Vilakazi and Jane Ginindza. She is married to the Shongwe family and blessed with four children, and has four grandchildren. She belongs to the Methodist Church of Southern Africa and is an active member of (Omama Bomanyano) united women. She has a Diploma in Credit Management, Certificate in Management and Development Municipal Finance
	POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT Growing up on a farm in Barberton, one of the oldest small mining towns in South Africa which was then referred to as a white area, Cllr Shongwe had to survive the kind of apartheid practices, a life under which her parents had to bring up their family. Her father had to work on the same farm to sustain their living in the area. The apartheid system provoked and unleashed her political ambitions to participate in the liberation struggle against apartheid at a very early stage of her life. As a woman in South Africa she participated in many organized women structures in many communities, mobilizing societies to fight against apartheid system. Among others she is one of the founding members of a Women Social Club called Yinhle Lentfo established in (1982). It had (49) branches all over the then Eastern Transvaal Region now called Mpumalanga Province. She is still attached to the said organization. As a political activist she was and still is a volunteer of the African National Congress (ANC) structures.
	1994 -	Elected to the Branch Executive of the ANC.
	1995 -	Appointed by the ANC as an organizer for Nelspruit Region.
	1997 - 1998 -	Elected to be Branch Chairperson of the African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL).
	2006 - 2008 -	Served as a Chair person in the Mayoral Committee in the Corporate Services portfolio
	2008 - 2011 -	Chair person of the Portfolio Committee: - Community Service
	1999 - 2000 -	Branch Executive Member of the ANCWL
	2000 - 2001 -	Branch Executive Member ANC
	2001 - 2003 -	Branch Chairperson of the ANCWL
	2003 - 2011 -	Elected Chairperson of the ANCWL for Ehlanzeni Region.
	2010 - 2014 -	Provincial Mpumalanga Chairperson of the ANCWL
	2008 - 2014 -	Member of the ANC Provincial Executive Committee
	2008 - 2014 -	Member of the ANC Provincial Working Committee
	2011 -	Appointed Executive Mayor for Ehlanzeni District Municipality.