Ndleleni Duma
Ndleleni Moses Duma (26 August 1958 – 23 November 2018) was a South African politician who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the North West Provincial Legislature until his death in 2018. He also served in the National Assembly between 2009 and 2014. He was a Member of the North West Executive Council from 2004 to 2009 during the premiership of Edna Molewa; during the same period, he was convicted on theft charges in connection with his involvement in the Travelgate scandal during an earlier period of service in the national Parliament. A former anti-apartheid activist, Duma was a prominent figure in the ANC of the North West Province. He was the inaugural Provincial Secretary of the North West ANC between 1994 and 1998, under Chairperson Popo Molefe, and later deputised Supra Mahumapelo as Deputy Provincial Secretary from 2005 to 2008. He served on the ANC National Executive Committee from 2007 to 2012. Early life Duma was born on 26 August 1958 in Collersfontein near Bothaville in the former Orange Free State (later the Free State Province). He was the ninth of fourteen siblings. According to Zakes Malekane, he recruited Duma into the ANC underground in 1977. During the 1980s, Duma was a founding member of the Ikageng Civic Association and an organiser for the United Democratic Front. He later served as the ANC's head of political education and organising in the Western Transvaal. Legislative career After apartheid ended in 1994, Duma became the inaugural Provincial Secretary of the ANC's branch in the new North West Province. He served in that office until 1998, gaining re-election in 1996, and served under Provincial Chairperson Popo Molefe. He lost his position in 1998 when he unsuccessfully challenged Molefe for the chairmanship. He also represented the ANC in Parliament until the 2004 general election, when he was elected to the North West Provincial Legislature. North West Executive Council: 2004–2009 Pursuant to the 2004 general election, on 30 April 2004, Duma was also appointed to the Executive Council of the North West by newly elected Premier Edna Molewa, who named him Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Tourism. On 23 August 2005, Molewa announced a reshuffle in which he was moved to a new portfolio as MEC for Arts, Culture and Sports; he remained in that office for the rest of the legislative term. Travelgate conviction In February 2005, Duma appeared in court in Cape Town on fraud and theft charges emanating from his tenure in the national Parliament. He was accused of claiming unlawful benefits from Parliament as part of the so-called Travelgate fraud. In October 2006, he signed a plea bargain and pleaded guilty in the Cape High Court to theft in relation to R51,000 in unlawful benefits. He was sentenced to pay a fine of R30,000 or serve three years' imprisonment, with a further mandatory five years' imprisonment suspended for five years. Drunk driving charge In 2005, while the Travelgate charges were pending, Duma was