Thandile Sunduza

Thandile Sunduza
Thandile Sunduza
Member of the National Assembly
	In office; 14 November 2008 – 6 May 2014
Personal details
Born	15 November 1977 (age 47); Soweto, Johannesburg; Transvaal, South Africa
Political party	African National Congress

Thandile Babalwa Sunduza (born 15 November 1977) is a South African politician, diplomat and former civil servant who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 2008 to 2014. She was appointed as Consul-General of South Africa to the United States in 2020.

Early life and career

Sunduza was born on 15 November 1977 in Soweto in Johannesburg.^[1]^[2] After matriculating in Johannesburg, she studied sports management, earning a BTech in the subject from Vaal University of Technology.^[1]^[2] Her first jobs were in sports administration at the National Olympic Committee of South Africa and the South African Table Tennis Board.^[2] Subsequently, from 2003, she worked in government, holding several positions in the Gauteng Provincial Government.^[2]

Political career

On 14 November 2008, Sunduza joined the National Assembly, filling the casual vacancy that had arisen in the ANC caucus after Mosuioa Lekota's resignation.^[3] She was re-elected to a full legislative term in the 2009 general election^[1] and additionally chaired the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture from 2010.^[2] In 2013, there was a minor scandal when Sunduza alleged that the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police had insulted her and damaged her car; the police alleged in response that Sunduza had been apprehended driving away from a mandatory traffic stop while talking on her cellphone.^[4]

She did not stand for re-election to her legislative seat in 2014^[1] and instead returned to her career in public administration, including as a parliamentary liaison officer for the Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration.^[2] In the next general election in 2019, she stood for election to the National Assembly, but she was ranked 199th on the ANC's national party list and did not secure a seat.^[1] In 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Sunduza as Consul-General of South Africa to the United States; she headed South Africa's West Coast mission, based in Los Angeles.^[2]

Personal life

Sunduza is Christian and has one daughter.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Thandile Babalwa Sunduza". People's Assembly. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "About the Consul General". South African Consulate General, Los Angeles. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
^ "National Assembly Members". Parliamentary Monitoring Group. 15 January 2009. Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
^ "Sunduza tried to flee – police". IOL. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2023.

External links

Ms Thandile Babalwa Sunduza at People's Assembly

[:0-1] "Thandile Babalwa Sunduza". People's Assembly. Retrieved 8 April 2023.

[:1-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "About the Consul General". South African Consulate General, Los Angeles. Retrieved 8 April 2023.

[:02-3] "National Assembly Members". Parliamentary Monitoring Group. 15 January 2009. Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2023.

[4] "Sunduza tried to flee – police". IOL. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2023.

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