Ngconde Balfour facts for kids

Ngconde Mathemba Bryce Balfour was born on August 23, 1954. His birthplace was kuNtselamanzi, a town called Alice, Eastern Cape in South Africa. He is a well-known politician who has held important roles in the South African government. These roles included being the Minister of Correctional Services and the Minister of Sport.

Early Life and Education

Ngconde Balfour grew up in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. He finished his high school studies at Jabavu High School in Alice. After that, he continued his education at Lovedale College and Fort Hare University.

Time Away from Home

For a period, Balfour was held for political reasons. Later, from 1989 to 1992, he lived outside South Africa in exile in Australia. While in Australia, he studied at Victoria University, Australia.

Political Career and Public Service

Ngconde Balfour became a Member of Parliament in South Africa in 1996. This meant he was elected to represent people in the country's government.

Ministerial Roles

He was appointed as the Minister of Sport and Recreation on June 21, 1999. In this role, he helped guide sports policies for the country. Later, on April 29, 2004, he became the Minister of Correctional Services. This job involved overseeing the country's prisons and rehabilitation programs. He served in this position until May 10, 2009.

Later Public Service

In September 2008, when President Thabo Mbeki resigned, Ngconde Balfour was one of several ministers who also offered to resign. However, it was later decided that he would continue in his role as Minister of Correctional Services.

After his time as a minister, Balfour was appointed as South Africa's High Commissioner to Botswana. This is a diplomatic role, representing South Africa in another country. He held this position for less than a year. In 2011, it was announced that he would become the chairperson of Boxing South Africa, an organization that manages boxing in the country.