Yunus Carrim the new communications minister

President Jacob Zuma has replaced communications minister Dina Pule with Yunus Carrim. This announcement was made at the Union Buildings during a press briefing today (9 July 2013).

Yunus Carrim was the former South African Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

Carrim holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours and Masters in Sociology from the University of Warwick in England and an International Diploma in Journalism from Darlington College of Technology in England.

Zuma said that Carrim will be sworn in as communications minister on 10 July 2013.

Pule was appointed to her position in October 2011, having served as Deputy Minister of the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation between 2010 and 2011. Between 2009 and 2010, Pule served as Deputy Minister of Communications.

Pule has been embroiled in a number of scandals over the last year, including accusations of cronyism and maladministration.

About Yunus Carrim

Yunus Carrim has been named as the minister of communications on 9 July 2013, and is set to be sworn in on 10 July 2013.

Carrim was previously the Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the South African Government.

Position in Parliament

• MP in the National Assembly since 1994
• Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs – since May 2009
• Chairperson: Justice and Constitutional Development Portfolio Committee from September 2007 until April 2009.
• Chairperson: Public Enterprises Portfolio Committee from June 2004 until August 2007.
• Chairperson: Provincial and Local Government Portfolio Committee from March 1998 until June 2004.
• Chairperson: Membership of Legislatures Adhoc Committee, 1997
• Other Committees served in parliament: Reconstruction and Development Committee, Private Members Motions, and several Ad Hoc Committees

Current Position in Party Political Structures

• Serve in branch and regional structures of the African National Congress
• Serve in structures from branch level to Central Committee and Politburo of the South African Communist Party

Other Community Activities

• Serve in a range of community, educational and other organisations

Political History

Active in politics since organising anti-Apartheid Republic Day Festival demonstrations at high school in 1971. Chairperson of National Youth Action (Pietermaritzburg), 1972-3. Detained without trial from August to December 1976 for organising demonstrations against Soweto massacre at University of Durban-Westville and in June 1986 for two weeks in terms of the Emergency Regulations. On release from 1976 detention, receive United Nations scholarship to Study in England. Executive Committee member of Natal Indian Congress and Council member of United Democratic Front (Pietermaritzburg) from the mid-eighties. Secretary of Pietermaritzburg Combined Ratepayers and Residents Association (1986-90). Served in a range of community, sports and educational organisations.

Academic Qualifications

BA(Hons) and M.A. in Sociology, University of Warwick (England), International Diploma in Journalism, Darlington College of Technology (England). Studies undertaken between 1977 and 1983 through scholarship from United Nations Educational and Training Project for Southern Africans.

Previous Occupation

Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Natal, (Pietermaritzburg) and Freelance Journalist. Published academic articles and journalistic pieces on South African Politics, Labour, “National Question”, Local Government and other issues.

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