South African who went from sleeping on a kitchen floor to one of the top 100 most influential people in the world
Thulisile Nomkhosi Madonsela, the former Public Protector of South Africa, holds multiple prestigious titles and is currently the Director of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Law.
At Stellenbosch, she also serves as the Law Trust Chair Professor of Law in Social Justice Studies.
Madonsela is notably recognised for her role in co-drafting the Constitution of South Africa following the end of apartheid in 1994.
Born and raised in Soweto, she grew up in a family of seven children. Her childhood was marked by humble beginnings, as she often spent her nights sleeping on the kitchen floor of their home alongside her siblings.
“I still think to some extent it’s why I don’t like small spaces,” Madonsela said in the book Legends by Matthew Blackman and Nick Dall.
After showcasing her academic excellence in primary school, Madonsela attended Evelyn Baring High School, a boarding institution established for the children of British colonists in Swaziland.
Upon completing her Junior Certificate, equivalent to Grade 10, her father instructed her to return to Johannesburg to train as a nurse. However, she was determined to finish high school and pursue a career in law.
In defiance of her father’s wishes, Madonsela had to support herself after he stopped funding her education and expelled her from their family home.
She obtained a bursary to complete her high school education at Evelyn Baring and subsequently worked as an assistant teacher, first at her former high school and later in Soweto.
Madonsela earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Swaziland in 1987 and obtained an LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University).
While studying, she joined the National Union of Printers and Allied Workers (NUPAWO) as a legal and education officer.
Madonsela’s legacy
Madonsela has had a diverse career, working in various government departments, civil society organisations, and academia.
She has lectured in law at Wits University and served as a presiding officer at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
She has also worked as a deputy director in the Justice Department, and held the position of Managing Director at the Office of the Status of Women in the Presidency.
In 2009, President Jacob Zuma appointed Madonsela as the Public Protector for a non-renewable seven-year term.
At that time, she was the only full-time commissioner in the South African Law Reform Commission.
She is a member of the African Academy of Sciences and the Scottish WS Society.
Additionally, she serves as the Chairperson of Cities Alliance and is a member of the UN Scientific Advisory Board, the International Anticorruption Conference Coordinating Committee, and the International Council for Arbitration in Sport (ICAS).
She has authored two books on Gender Mainstreaming (2002) and Gender Management (2002), and she is a core author and architect of the inaugural Benchwork for Equality Courts and the Resource Book for Equality Court Clerks.
In 2014, Madonsela was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2017, she was recognised as Forbes Africa Person of the Year.
Her global recognition includes over 70 awards, including Rotary’s Paul Harris Award, the Commonwealth Lawyers Truth and Justice Award, and the global ACFE Cressy Award.
Madonsela is also a mother of two, a philanthropist, and a mountaineer who has summited Mount Kilimanjaro twice as part of #Trek4Mandela, #Caring4Girls, and #Action4Inclusion initiatives.
She has also been a monthly columnist for the Financial Mail and continues to write for City Press, while occasionally contributing to other newspapers.
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