# Barbara Thomson > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Barbara_Thomson > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Barbara_Thomson.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Thomson > Source revision: 1347053684 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|South African politician (born 1954)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Barbara Thomson | native_name = | native_name_lang = | alt = | caption = | order = [Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs](/source/Minister_of_Environmental_Affairs_(South_Africa)) | office = | term_start = 26 May 2014 | term_end = 25 May 2019 | alongside = | deputy = | president = [Jacob Zuma](/source/Jacob_Zuma)
[Cyril Ramaphosa](/source/Cyril_Ramaphosa) | succeeding = | predecessor = [Rejoice Mabudafhasi](/source/Rejoice_Mabudafhasi) (for Water and Environmental Affairs) | successor = [Maggie Sotyu](/source/Maggie_Sotyu) (for Environment, Forestry and Fisheries) | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1954|02|03}} | birth_place = [Natal, South Africa](/source/Natal_(province)) | death_date = | death_place = | citizenship = | party = [African National Congress](/source/African_National_Congress) | partner = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | term_start1 = 1 November 2010 | office1 = [Deputy Minister of Energy](/source/Minister_of_Energy_(South_Africa)) | president1 = Jacob Zuma | predecessor1 = ''Position established'' | term_end1 = 25 May 2014 | successor1 = [Thembi Majola](/source/Thembi_Majola) | minister1 = [Dipuo Peters](/source/Dipuo_Peters)
[Ben Martins](/source/Ben_Martins) | minister = [Edna Molewa](/source/Edna_Molewa)
[Nomvula Mokonyane](/source/Nomvula_Mokonyane) }} '''Barbara Thomson''' (born 3 February 1954), also spelled '''Barbara Thompson''', is a South African politician. She represented the [African National Congress](/source/African_National_Congress) in the [South African Parliament](/source/Parliament_of_South_Africa) between 1995 and 2019. During that time, she served as [Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs](/source/Minister_of_Environmental_Affairs) from 2014 to 2019 and as [Deputy Minister of Energy](/source/Minister_of_Energy_(South_Africa)) from 2010 to 2014. In 2006, she was convicted of [fraud](/source/fraud) in the [Travelgate scandal](/source/Travelgate_(South_Africa)). == Early life and career == Thomson was born on 3 February 1954 in the former [Natal Province](/source/Natal_(province)) (now [KwaZulu-Natal](/source/KwaZulu-Natal)).{{Cite web |date= |title=Ms B. Thompson: Deputy Minister |url=http://www.energy.gov.za/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309033923/http://www.energy.gov.za/ |archive-date=2014-03-09 |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Department of Energy}} She trained as a development worker and became involved in politics and community activism in the [Natal Midlands](/source/Natal_Midlands), where she later served as secretary of a regional branch of the [African National Congress](/source/African_National_Congress) (ANC) [Women's League](/source/ANC_Women's_League). == Parliament: 1995–2019 == Thomson joined the [first democratic Parliament](/source/22nd_South_African_Parliament) in 1995, filling a casual vacancy.{{Cite web |title=Barbara Thomson, Ms |url=https://www.gov.za/about-government/contact-directory/barbara-thomson-ms |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=South African Government}} She represented the ANC in [Parliament](/source/Parliament_of_South_Africa) for the next 14 years, serving a stint in the [National Council of Provinces](/source/National_Council_of_Provinces) as well as longer stints in the [National Assembly](/source/National_Assembly_of_South_Africa). In 2004, she was one of several representatives implicated by the [Scorpions](/source/Scorpions_(South_Africa)) in the [Travelgate scandal](/source/Travelgate_(South_Africa)),{{Cite web |date=2004-08-20 |title=Have vouchers, will travel |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2004-08-20-have-vouchers-will-travel/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} and in October 2006 she pled guilty to having [defrauded](/source/Fraud) Parliament in that connection.{{Cite web |date=2006-10-16 |title=Travelgate: 14 plead guilty |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2006-10-16-travelgate-14-plead-guilty/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} The fraud reportedly pertained to an amount of [R](/source/South_African_rand)74,000.'''{{Cite web |date=2006-10-06 |title=Travelgate: MPs to out ANC big fish |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2006-10-06-travelgate-mps-to-out-anc-big-fish/ |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}''' On 31 October 2010, President [Jacob Zuma](/source/Jacob_Zuma) announced a major [cabinet](/source/First_Cabinet_of_Jacob_Zuma) reshuffle, in which he appointed Thomson as [Deputy Minister of Energy](/source/Minister_of_Energy_(South_Africa)); until then, the Minister of Energy, [Dipuo Peters](/source/Dipuo_Peters), had served without a deputy.{{Cite news |date=1 November 2010 |title=Cabinet reshuffled, 7 ministers axed |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2010-10-31-cabinet-reshuffled-7-ministers-axed/ |access-date=3 July 2024 |work=Sunday Times}} Thomson remained in that office until the [May 2014 general election](/source/2014_South_African_general_election), after which Zuma appointed her as [Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs](/source/Minister_of_Environmental_Affairs).{{cite web |date=25 May 2014 |title=Full List of Jacob Zuma’s 2014 cabinet – all the Ministers and Deputies |url=https://www.biznews.com/undictated/2014/05/25/jacob-zuma-appoints-new-cabinet-sa-gets-new-finance-minister/ |website=BizNews |publisher=}} She left Parliament and the executive at the [May 2019 general election](/source/2019_South_African_general_election).{{Cite web |title=Barbara Thomson |url=http://www.pa.org.za/person/barbara-thomson/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=People's Assembly |language=en}} ==References== {{reflist}} == External links == * {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|barbara-thomson}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, Barbara}} Category:Living people Category:1954 births Category:20th-century South African women politicians Category:21st-century South African women politicians Category:Members of the National Council of Provinces Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2004–2009 Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2009–2014 Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2014–2019 Category:Politicians from KwaZulu-Natal Category:South African politicians convicted of fraud Category:Women members of the National Assembly of South Africa Category:Women members of the National Council of Provinces Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 1994–1999 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Barbara Thomson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Thomson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Thomson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.