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NRI politician to head new UN project
Frene Ginwala is to head a project commissioned by Kofi Annan about living conditions in Africa.
Veteran South African Indian activist and politician Frene Ginwala is to head a special project commissioned by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan about living conditions in Africa.
The senior African National Congress (ANC) member and lawyer who served two terms as the parliament speaker ended speculation about her future months after she refused to take up a seat as an ordinary ANC member in the third parliament.
Ginwala, who spent much of her adult life in exile in Britain, earned respect from all parties for her fierce and sometimes fiery no-nonsense approach as speaker.
But she told the local newspaper that she found the task "very restrictive".
"From the beginning I was very outspoken within ANC about political issues," Ginwala said.
"As speaker I could not say or write as much as I was used to. I had to find creative ways of having my say. It's wonderful to be able again to say what I want to and when I want to."
Ginwala did not give any details about the new UN unit she will head but said she would also serve on an advisory panel tasked with putting together a report on human development.
