Minister in The Presidency

The GCIS is located in The Presidency and falls under the Minister in The Presidency, Dr Essop Goolam Pahad.

Dr Essop Pahad

	Mail	Street	Telephone/Fax
Pretoria	Private Bag X1000 PRETORIA 0001	The Presidency Government Avenue Union Buildings PRETORIA	Tel: (012) 300 5200 Fax: (012) 321 8870
Cape Town	Private Bag X1000 CAPE TOWN 8000	The Presidency Tuynhuys CAPE TOWN	Tel: (021) 464 2122/ 2191 Fax: (021) 464 2123
Chief Director: Ministerial Services Mike Louw		Tel: (012) 300 5332 or (021) 464 2145 Cellphone: 082 373 1968 E-mail: mike@po.gov.za

Minister in the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa since 17 June 1999 with specific responsibility for the Office on the Rights of the Child (ORC), Office on the Status of Disabled People (OSPD), Office on the Status of Women (OSW), the National Youth Commission, the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), International Marketing Council (IMC), Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA).
The Minister carries out a wide range of political duties as designated by the President.
Member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of ANC.
Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the South African Democracy Education Trust. (2000 - );
Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the SA / Mali Timbuktu Manuscripts Trust (2003 - )
Member of the Board of the SA 2010 World Cup Local Organising Committee (2004 - );

Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, University of the Witwatersrand .
Master of Arts degree in African Politics, University of Sussex .
PhD, History, University of Sussex . Thesis entitled, 'The development of Indian political movements in South Africa 1924 - 1946'.

Member of the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress (TIYC) Executive Committee, also as Secretary (1958 - 1964).
After the banning of African National Congress (ANC) he was part of TIYC volunteers, producing and distributing ANC pamphlets and posters (1960 - 1963).
Member of the TIYC Executive Committee (1962 - 1964).
Active in student politics at the University of the Witwatersrand .
Arrested and imprisoned for two weeks, later charged with organising an 'illegal strike', found not guilty (1962 - 1963).
Banned for five years and went into exile (December 1964).
In exile served on leadership structures of ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP). During this period he also graduated from the Institute of Social Science in Moscow , Russia , and completed a short military course in Angola .
Represented the SACP on the Editorial Council of the World Marxist Review (1975 - 1985).
Served on the regional command of the ANC's Political and Military Council in London , before returning to South Africa in 1990.
Parliamentary Counsellor to the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa (May 1994 - July 1996).
Deputy Minister in the Office of the former Executive Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki (August 1996 - 16 June 1999).
Member of the National Assembly (1994 - )
Served as Chairperson of the Inter Ministerial task Team for the 10 th Anniversary of Democracy Celebrations (2003 � 2005);

Published numerous articles in the Journals of the SACP and ANC, and also in a wide range of South African media.
Co-editor of : 'Africa, the Time has Come' and ' Africa , Define Yourself', collections of speeches by President Thabo Mbeki.