Gugile Nkwinti
Gugile Ernest Nkwinti (born 18 December 1946) is a South African politician from the African National Congress. He served as Minister of Water and Sanitation from February 2018 to May 2019, and before that as Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform from 2009 to 2018. He was also the Speaker of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature from 1994 to 1999.
Education and early career: He has a nursing diploma and degrees in Political Science, Public Administration and Applied Economics from the University of South Africa (Unisa), plus a Master’s from the University of London. He worked as a nurse from 1972 to 1984, then with the UDF in the Eastern Cape and as a research assistant at Rhodes University. He later held various provincial roles, including MEC for housing, local government and traditional affairs, and then for housing and local government.
Land reform views: He has said there were not enough funds to redistribute 30% of arable land to Black South Africans by 2014, and he proposed reforming reclaimed but unproductive land. He stated that nationalisation was not the answer and left future policy discussions to the national level. He made remarks about farmers that drew criticism from some groups.
Controversy: Nkwinti faced allegations of conflict of interest and bribery after reports that he received 2 million Rand from associates connected to a farm linked to the department.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:07 (CET).