Quick Facts
| Full Name | Ronald Ozzy Lamola |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 21 November 1983 (age 41 years) |
| Place of Birth | Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, South Africa |
| Citizenship | South Africa |
| Political Party | African National Congress (ANC) |
| Current Position | Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (since 3 July 2024) |
| Previous Positions | Minister of Justice and Correctional Services (May 2019 – June 2024) |
| Education | LLB (University of Venda, 2005); Practical Legal Training (UNISA, 2006); Postgraduate Certificates in Corporate Law and Banking Law & Financial Markets; Two Master’s Degrees from University of Pretoria (Corporate Law and Extractive Law in Africa) |
| Personal Life | Married to Bawinile “Winnie” Msiza since 8 March 2013 |
| Political Involvement | Former Deputy President of ANC Youth League, Member of ANC NEC and NWC |
| Professional Career | Lawyer at TMN Kgomo and Associates, Manager at Govan Mbeki Municipality, Director in the Office of the MEC of Culture, Sports and Recreation in Mpumalanga |
Biography of Ronald Ozzy Lamola
Early Life and Education
Ronald Ozzy Lamola was born on 21 November 1983 in Bushbuckridge, which was then part of South Africa’s Transvaal Province. He joined the ANC Youth League at the age of thirteen in 1996 and matriculated from Mchacka High School in 2000. He enrolled at the University of Venda, where he obtained his LLB degree in 2005. During his time at the university, he was President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) and Chairperson of the South African Students Congress in Limpopo.
In 2006, Lamola completed his practical legal training at the University of South Africa (UNISA). He later obtained postgraduate certificates in corporate law and banking law & financial markets. Lamola holds two master’s degrees from the University of Pretoria. His first master’s degree is in corporate law, where he explored the regulation of property syndication schemes, focusing on the roles of regulators and the conflation of various acts. His second master’s degree is in extractive law in Africa, concentrating on corporate social investment by the mining and energy sectors, and highlighting the inadequacies of the Department of Minerals and Energy’s enforcement unit.
Career
Lamola began his professional career as a lawyer at TMN Kgomo and Associates in 2006. In 2009, he was employed as a manager at the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality. He then served as Director in the Office of the Mpumalanga MEC for Culture, Sports, and Recreation from 2009 until 2011, and briefly acted as the spokesperson for the Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza in 2011.
Lamola’s political career saw him rise to prominence as the Deputy President of the ANC Youth League, where he served alongside Youth League President Julius Malema until Malema’s expulsion in 2012. Lamola has been a vocal critic of former ANC President Jacob Zuma and endorsed Kgalema Motlanthe to succeed Zuma in 2012.
In the 2014 elections, Lamola was a candidate for the National Assembly but was not elected due to the ANC’s electoral performance. After managing his own law firm, he returned to the political scene, endorsing Cyril Ramaphosa for ANC President in 2017. He was elected to the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) in December 2017 and appointed to the National Working Committee (NWC) in January 2018.
Following the May 2019 elections, Lamola was appointed as Minister of Justice and Correctional Services by President Cyril Ramaphosa, serving until June 2024. He was re-elected to the ANC NEC at the party’s 55th National Conference in December 2022 and to the NWC in January 2023. In September 2023, Lamola was appointed head of the ANC NEC Sub-committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs.
On 3 July 2024, Lamola was sworn in as the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation as part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s third cabinet, following the formation of a Government of National Unity through a grand coalition after the ANC lost its absolute majority in the 2024 election.
Personal Life
Ronald Lamola married Bawinile “Winnie” Msiza on 8 March 2013 at the Cunning Moor in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.
