Tina Joemat-Pettersson, former South African Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and chairwoman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police, died on Monday at the age of 59.
Joemat-Pettersson was a member of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and her death was described as "shocking" by the party. President Cyril Ramaphosa has also expressed his condolences.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Comrade, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, At her time of death Joemat-Pettersson was the ANC Member of Parliament serving as Chairwoman of the Policy Study Group," the ANC said in a statement. "May her soul Rest In Peace."
ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane, who won the post at the party's elective conference in December 2022 after going head-to-head with the late MP, said Joemat-Pettersson's death was "unexpected".
"This is something that is shocking, very unexpected. Comrade Tina is a child of the ANC. We have grown up together in the movement," Mokonyane stated.
The ANC's chief parliamentary whip, Pemmy Majodina, confirmed that Joemat-Pettersson had died at her home in Rondebosch, Cape Town, adding that her "family is still keeping the matter close to their hearts.
Joemat-Pettersson had a long political history with the ANC. She campaigned for the party in the Northern Cape Province in the first democratic elections in April 1994 and was elected to the provincial legislature, where she became a member of the cabinet as a Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education, Arts and Culture.
She served as MEC for Education for 10 years and was transferred to the portfolio of Agriculture in 2004, where she served as MEC until May 2009. Joemat-Petterson was later appointed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 2009 to 2014 and Minister of Energy from May 2014 to March 2017 under President Jacob Zuma.
In South Africa's national parliament, she had served as chairwoman of the parliamentary portfolio committee on policing since July 2019.
In December last year, she ran for deputy secretary-general of the ANC at its elective conference and lost to Mokonyane. Recently, Joemat-Pettersson was nominated for one of the top six positions at the upcoming ANC Women's League conference to be held later this month.