Mbhazima shilowa biography of michael

Mbhazima shilowa biography of michael: Shilowa was born on 30 April

Mbhazima Samuel Shilowa born 30 April is a retired South African politician and former trade unionist. He was the third Premier of Gauteng between and He was formerly the general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions Cosatu between and , and he later became a co-founder of the Congress of the People Cope.

Born in the rural Northern Province , Shilowa became active in the trade union movement as a shop steward in Johannesburg in He rose through the ranks of the Transport and General Workers' Union before becoming Cosatu's deputy general secretary in and its general secretary in The flagship policies of his administration included the construction of the Gautrain.

Although he was re-elected to a second term as premier in the April general election , he resigned from the office on 29 September ; a political ally and personal friend of Thabo Mbeki , he resigned in protest of the ANC's decision to recall Mbeki from the national presidency. However, within 18 months, COPE was divided by an ongoing leadership contest between Lekota and Shilowa, who claimed to have been elected as COPE's new president by an abortive party conference in December The Lekota-led faction expelled Shilowa from the party in February Shilowa was born on 30 April at Olifantshoek , a village in the former Northern Province now Limpopo.

Shilowa became involved in the trade union movement in when he was elected as shop steward at his workplace at Anglo-Alpha Cement; he later held the same position at PSG Services.