MEC Tasneem Motara

Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Economic Development at Gauteng Province

Speaker

Born into a family of community activists, MEC Motara cut her teeth in political activism in her late teens having joined the ANC and its Youth League, which she led from local to provincial structures, for a period spanning 17 years of her life. She concurrently led the ANC’s local and provincial structures, culminating into her election to the party’s Provincial Executive Committee first in 2019 and again in 2022. In 2019 she served as a member of the Working Committee and ANC provincial Spokesperson, and was elected as the Deputy Provincial Secretary in 2022.
Tasneem holds a Degree in Psychology from UNISA, a Certificate in Governance and Public Leadership from WITS School of Governance and completed the University of Central London’s IIPP Executive Education Programme.

MEC Motara has served in both the private and public sectors, and has experience in both the financial and construction industries. Her first years in the public sector were spent in 2010 where she served as the Deputy Chairperson of the NYDA Gauteng Board, a position she held for 2 years before joining Parliament in 2014. She held various positions in the National Council of Provinces, notably as a whip of the Gauteng delegation, a whip of the Select Committees on Finance and Appropriations and a permanent member of the SADC Parliamentary Forum.

Following the 2019 General Elections, Tasneem was appointed as the MEC for Infrastructure Development and has now in 2022 been assigned the responsibility of leading the Department of Economic Development as its MEC. A hard working, self-driven, team playing individual, MEC Motara draws her strength from constantly learning and doing. A results driven individual, Tasneem has demonstrated her leadership capabilities and skills and is able to get the most productivity from any team she leads. Tasneem prides herself at being a very fast learner who adapts to any condition she operates under. She lives by the belief that there is a solution to every problem and no task is too daunting or insurmountable to be undertaken.

MEC Tasneem Motara represented South Africa in two WFDY Festivals, first in 2010 and then again in 2013. She has also represented South Africa at the United Nations during her tenure as the Deputy Director for Youth in Gauteng and made presentations and input into the development of the UNSDGS. A doting mother of three, Tasneem devotes much of her free time to her husband and children. She enjoys reading, listening to music and horse riding during her leisure time.