Environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa has died.
Molewa was hospitalised on September 8‚ and tourism minister Derek Hanekom has been acting in her role since then.
While the presidency has not yet released a statement‚ senior government ministers are believed to have been notified.
Aged 61‚ Molewa was a member of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) as well as the ANC Women’s League national working committee.
On 30 April 2004 she became the first female premier of the North West provincial government‚ a post she filled until 2009.
Molewa was also the first and remains the only female to ever become the provincial chairperson of the ANC and in 1994 she became the first female to be chairperson of the portfolio committee on trade and industry.
Before being appointed minister of water and environmental affairs in 2010‚ among other government accolades she served as MEC for social development.