Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams

Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams (born 30 June 1978)[1] is a South African politician and the Minister of Small Business Development in the cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa.[2] She previously served as Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies and Deputy Minister of Communication. Ndabeni-Abrahams is a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and serves as a member of the party's Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) and Provincial Working Committee (PWC) in the Eastern Cape.

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams
MP
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams in 2018
Minister of Small Business Development
Assumed office
5 August 2021
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa
Preceded byKhumbudzo Ntshavheni
Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies
In office
22 November 2018 – 5 August 2021
PresidentCyril Ramaphosa
Preceded by
Succeeded byKhumbudzo Ntshavheni
Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services
In office
31 March 2017 – 22 November 2018
PresidentJacob Zuma
MinisterAyanda Dlodlo
Preceded byHlengiwe Mkhize
Deputy Minister of Communications
In office
23 October 2011 – 31 March 2017
PresidentJacob Zuma
MinisterFaith Muthambi
Succeeded byThandi Mahambehlala
Personal details
Born
Stella Tembisa Ndabeni

(1978-06-30) 30 June 1978
Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress (ANC)
SpouseThato Abrahams
Children3

Early life

Ndabeni-Abrahams was born in Sakhela, a village near Mthatha, in 1978. She is the first-born of six children in her family and her parents were pastors. She completed her secondary school education at the Holy Cross Senior Secondary School in Mthatha.

Career

Ndabeni-Abrahams is a recipient of an Advanced Certificate in Project Management, Rhodes University; Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation Diploma in Telecommunications and Management Systems; a Certificate in Telecommunications, Policy and Regulation Management from Wits University,[3] as well as a Project Management Diploma from Cranefields College.[2]

She was previously the Deputy Minister of the Department of Communications (DoC) from 26 May 2014 to 30 March 2017. Prior to the 2014 elections, she held the same position in the then DoC (now Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services) from 25 October 2011 until 25 May 2014. Prior to being an MP, Ms Ndabeni-Abrahams was a Project Manager for the Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council from 2003 to 2009. On November 22, 2018, she was appointed as Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services and had overseen the unification of the two ministries.

Controversy

Yekani allegation

In 2020 the Sunday Times reported that the East London-based electronics firm, Yekani, was forced into liquidation because its owner, Siphiwe Cele, refused to sell a controlling stake in the company to Ndabeni-Abrahams' husband.[4][5] At the time of the alleged offer in April 2018 Ndabeni-Abrahams was deputy minister of communications. In the article Cele is quoted stating that this resulted in the company not receiving financial support from the Eastern Cape Government leading its liquidation and the shuttering of the factory, resulting in the loss of 500 jobs.[5] A spokes person for Ndabeni-Abrahams stated that it was "disingenuous" to blame Yekani's financial problems on the minister's husband.[5] Yekani later refuted Cele's statement.[6][7]

Covid-19 sanctioning by the President

Around 7 April 2020, amidst the 21-day national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, Ndabeni-Abrahams was at the center of a nationwide controversy after ANC NEC member Mduduzi Manana posted a photo online of them having lunch together. Manana captioned the (subsequently-deleted) picture: "It was great to host a former colleague and dear sister Cde Stella Ndabeni- Abrahams (Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies) on her way back from executing critical and essential services required for the effective functioning of our country during the nationwide lockdown". She was immediately criticized for ignoring lockdown regulations.

President Cyril Ramaphosa then summoned her to explain to him why she appeared to have broken lockdown regulations and directed her to deliver a public apology to the nation. Ndabeni-Abrahams released a video apology, directed to the President and the country. Ramaphosa accepted the minister's apology for the violation, but in a statement said he "was unmoved by mitigating factors she tendered". Ndabeni-Abrahams was temporarily relieved of her duties for two months, with one month unpaid.[8][9] She paid a R1,000 fine and now has a criminal record.[10]

On 5 August 2021, president Ramaphosa reshuffled the national executive and appointed Ndabeni-Abrahams as Minister of Small Business Development, replacing Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who took over as Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies.[11]

Personal life

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has three children and is married to Thato Abrahams.

See also

References
  1. "Stella Ndabeni Abrahams on Facebook". facebook. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  2. "Tembisa Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Ms". gov.za. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  3. "Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams : People's Assembly". Pa.org.za. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  4. "Yekani CEO blames Thato Abrahams for IT firm's R68m debt". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  5. "R1-billion electronics factory shutting down because we "refused deal with minister's husband" – CEO". MyBroadband. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  6. Illidge, Myles (30 May 2022). "South African tech manufacturer bites the dust". MyBroadband. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  7. Mzekandaba, Simnikiwe (25 August 2020). "SITA's administrator refutes ties with Ndabeni-Abrahams's hubby". ITWeb. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  8. Citizen reporter (8 April 2020). "Ramaphosa places Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams on partly unpaid special leave". The Citizen. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  9. Jika, Thanduxolo (8 April 2020). "Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams out, Jackson Mthembu takes over". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  10. Makinana, Andisiwe (22 April 2020). "Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams pays R1,000 & gets a criminal record for lockdown lunch". Sunday Times. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  11. "President Cyril Ramaphosa: Changes to the national executive". SA Government. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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