Graça Machel
Graça Machel (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈɡɾasɐ mɐˈʃɛl]; née Simbine [sĩˈbinɨ]; born 17 October 1945) is a Mozambican politician and humanitarian. She is the widow of former President of Mozambique Samora Machel (1975–1986) and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela (1998–2013). Machel is an international advocate for women's and children's rights and was made an honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 for her humanitarian work. She is the only woman in modern history to have served as First Lady of two countries, South Africa and Mozambique.
Graça Machel
Position established
Position established
Njabulo Ndebele
(2000–2008)
Max Price
(2008–2018)
Njabulo Ndebele
(2000–2008)
Max Price
(2008–2018)
FRELIMO (1973–Present)
African National Congress (1998–present)
2, including Josina Z. Machel
Mandela family (by marriage)
Graça Machel is a member of the Africa Progress Panel (APP), a group of ten distinguished individuals who advocate at the highest levels for equitable and sustainable development in Africa. As a panel member, she facilitates coalition building to leverage and broker knowledge, and convenes decision-makers to influence policy for lasting change in Africa.
She was chancellor of the University of Cape Town between 1999 and 2019.
Political career[edit]
Simbine returned to Portuguese East Africa in 1973, joining the Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO) and working as a schoolteacher. Following Mozambique's independence in 1975, Simbine was appointed Mozambican's first Minister of Education and Culture on 25 June 1975.
During her tenure, the number of students enrolled in primary and secondary schools rose from about 40 per cent of all school-aged children to over 90 per cent for males and 75 per cent for females.[2]
