Mpumalanga ActionSA leader Mary Phadi sets sights on mayoral chain
· Citizen
Mpumalanga ActionSA leader Mary Phadi, also a businesswoman and women’s rights activist, is a force to be reckoned with in politics and business. Phadi became a businesswoman in 2006, owning and directing a logistics company.
Before joining the transport sector, she worked as a secretary for several coal mining companies, including Anglo Coal at New Denmark Colliery and Sasol Mining.
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Business owner
After earning an N3 certificate in office administration, she completed a diploma in human resources management (HR) and later upgraded to a degree in HR from the University of SA.
She owns a number of trucks, but because of her position in politics, she will not divulge more about her business. She only revealed that her trucks operate in the mining industry.
“Because of my political standing, I don’t give out information about my trucks, and I was forced to rebrand,” she added. Before entering politics in 2023, she advocated for women’s rights in the transport industry for 13 years and represented the freight industry for 16 years.
For the past nine years, she has been the president of the Truckers Association of South Africa. “I am also the chair of truckers in the Southern African Development Community countries.”
Mayoral candidate
Phadi is an ActionSA Nkangala district mayoral candidate and has vowed to continue empowering women, whom she believes are still oppressed in the business vehicle for traditional African kingdoms. Phadi was born in Cornelia, a small town in the northern Free State, and has been involved in business and society in general.
“Women are oppressed and those who are in leadership positions in businesses or in the workplace must know that they represent the few women who wish to be like them,” she said. “There are more women than men in this country, yet only a few of us are in leadership positions.”
She chairs the Transvaal Kingdom, a collective coalition of traditional royal houses representing indigenous kingdoms in Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West, and is a founding member of MonRoyal, an alliance and business vehicle for traditional African kingdoms.
Family
Phadi was born in Cornelia, a small town in the northern Free State and has lived in Vrede, Standerton and Jandrell in Sakhile township, Mpumalanga.
Her father, who was a school principal, died at the age of 84 in 2021. Her mother, a former school teacher, is 83. Her father was strict and prohibited her from playing with other children when she was growing up.
“My family did not support me when I was a member of the uMkhonto weSizwe party and they hated everything about it,” she said.
“Since I joined Herman Mashaba’s party, ActionSA, they have been supportive. “They attend events with me and have an interest in my day-to-day tasks.
“They have also joined ActionSA.” When asked why she was expelled from the MK party, Phadi said there was no reason, as she had received an unqualified opinion audit (clean audit) as a member of the provincial legislature and a convenor.
ActionSA
She joined ActionSA because she believes it will bring change in the country, as its president, Mashaba, “demonstrated his leadership skills when he was the mayor of Joburg”.
She also praised ActionSA’s Nasiphi Moya for her work as mayor of Tshwane. Phadi has vowed to emulate her party’s senior leaders and serve the people of Nkangala district with dignity, should she become the mayor.
“I will create employment and reverse the ongoing bad audit report on those municipalities. “People must vote for ActionSA because it is important for change, instead of repeatedly giving the same political party a chance, yet the towns are deteriorating,” she said.
Lifestyle
She is a member of the ActionSA provincial executive, a provincial campaigner and district mayoral candidate. She is also a born-again Christian at El Roi Ministries.
“I am the president of 8 Hours in God’s Presence – an extended Christian programme featuring intense worship, prayer.”
When she is not busy with business or politics, she watches reality shows. And her favourite meal includes traditional food such as tripe.
She is the author of a book titled Destined to Reign. She is a twin, but her twin sister died when she was nine years old. “I am the only surviving child of my mother, but I do have half-brothers and sisters.”