Barbara Creecy is a South African politician serving as Minister of Transport. She remains a member of the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee of the African National Congress (ANC).
Barbara Creecy’s Age
Barbara Creecy was born on the 17th of June 1958. She is 66 years old and typically celebrates her birthday every 17th June.
Early Life and Education
Barbara Creecy grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her father was an accountant who died when she was right.
He was a known member of the Communist Party; Barbara’s mother was the daughter of two trade unionists who were politically inclined.
After matriculating at the Roedean School in Parktown, Johannesburg, Barbara Creecy attended the University of Witwatersrand on a scholarship.
Thereafter, she graduated with an honors degree in Political Science and then completed a master’s in Public Policy and Management at the University of London.
Career
Barbara Creecy’s career circled anti-apartheid activism, and she held several government positions.
Anti-apartheid Activism
Barbara Creecy became involved in the anti-apartheid movement as a student politician and was a known African National Congress (ANC) member in her final year of university.
She worked with human rights lawyer Priscilla Jana and was a founding member of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in 1983.
Thereafter, Barbara Creecy worked with the UDF as a member of its civic desk and then as an employee of a non-profit organization.
She worked with the ANC underground while reporting to its Botswana machinery.
Barbara Creecy was exiled in 1988 and spent two months in the Soviet Union.
Provincial Politics
In 1994, Barbara Creecy was elected to represent the African National Congress (ANC) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. She maintained her position for 25 years, becoming one of the most extended-serving legislature members.
Between 1994 and 2004, Barbara Creecy served as chairperson of the portfolio committee on social development and the portfolio committee on education.
After the 2004 general elections, she was promoted to the Gauteng executive council as she was appointed MEC for sports, recreation, arts, and culture.
During the same year, Barbara Creecy was elected to the ANC’s provincial executive committee in Gauteng. She served in the sports portfolio for five years after being retained.
Following the 2009 general elections, Barbara Creecy became the MEC for Education under the government of Premier Nomvula Mokonyane.
She played a massive role in the Gauteng Department of Education and won a United Nations Public Service award through one of her projects.
In 2014, Barbara Creecy was transferred to the position of MEC for Finance by newly elected premier David Makhura. She became the first woman to hold the position.
During her tenure, Barbara Creecy introduced an open tender system that required independent auditing of procurement processes.
In 2017, she attended the ANC’s 54th conference and was elected to a five-year term on the party’s national executive committee.
Barbara Creecy was elected to the party’s 20-member National Working Committee.
National Political Career
In 2019, Barbara Creecy was elected to an ANC seat in the National Assembly of the South African parliament.
Despite being considered the front-runner for the Deputy Minister of Finance, she was appointed Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries.
She held the environmental portfolio for five years and experienced great success.
In 2022, environmental activists obtained a court order instructing Barbara Creecy to implement the Highveld Priority Area Air Quality Management Plan.
She blocked a proposed 2020 amendment to the Meat Safety Act that would allow the sale of lion meat and introduce a sweeping new policy on biodiversity.
As the minister, Barbara Creecy was the chairman of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment between 2019 and 2021.
She launched South Africa’s Just Energy Transition investment at Cop28, which was held in Dubai.
At the 55th National Conference of ANC, Barbara Creecy was re-elected to the National Executive Committee.
In 2023, she was appointed the committee’s chief representative in the Western Cape and deputy chairperson of the sub-committee on elections and campaigns.
In 2024, Barbara Creecy was re-elected to the National Assembly. On the 30th of June, she was announced as the Minister of Transport by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Family
Barbara Creecy is divorced and has two children.
Net Worth
Barbara Creecy has an undisclosed net worth.