Kenya’s in-law is new SA defence minister

Prof Ajulu’s father was imprisoned for political activities in Kenya while Ms Sisulu’s parents were imprisoned by the apartheid regime in South Africa.

Prof Ajulu was expelled from the University of Nairobi for political activism and ended up in South African exile via England and Lesotho.

Ms Sisulu also took up political activism and was also imprisoned by the apartheid regime before going into exile to continue her studies at the University of Lesotho. That was where the two met and eventually married in 1996.

As a youthful member of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the ANC, Ms Sisulu specialised in intelligence and after her university education in Swaziland and England served as a key aide of Mr Zuma, then the ANC Intelligence chief.

In 1990, after the unbanning of the ANC and other political organisations, Ms Sisulu returned to South Africa and resumed work as personal assistant to Mr Zuma.

She then joined the government as an administrator in the Department of Intelligence and Security for the ANC. She also worked as chief administrator of the ANC at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa and as a consultant for Unesco’s Children’s Rights Committee.

In 1992, she was awarded the Human Rights Centre fellowship in Geneva. She has published extensively on the subjects of women, the liberation struggle, working conditions and agriculture.

Ms Sisulu was elected to the South African Parliament in 1994 and was appointed to the Housing docket in April of that year, where she oversaw a massive programme required to redress years of racial inequalities.

She held the critical position of Minister of Intelligence between January 2001 and April 2004 and served as deputy minister of Home Affairs between 1996 and 2001. In addition to children from previous relationships, the couple has a son, Olindi Obango, named after his paternal grandparents.

Che Samora Ajulu is the eldest son and is named after the revolutionary Cuban and Mozambican leaders, Che Guavera and Samora Machel. There is also a daughter Ayanda and a son, Vuyo.