Ncediso Goodenough "Zizi" Kodwa (born 19 January 1970) is a South African politician and communications strategist who served as the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture from March 2023 until his resignation in June 2024.
Formerly a student activist in Cape Town, Kodwa rose to prominence as the national spokesperson of the ANC Youth League.
In addition to his various communications posts at Luthuli House, Kodwa has been a member of the ANC National Executive Committee since December 2012.
[3] He rose through the ranks of the league in the Western Cape,[1] working meanwhile as a marketing manager for Denel's pyrotechnics division (Swartklip).
During Zuma's rape trial in 2006, Kodwa frequently appeared at pro-Zuma political rallies outside the Johannesburg High Court.
[15] In June 2012, Kodwa left the Presidency altogether to take up a position as a communications and marketing manager at the Gauteng Film Commission.
[19] Later the same day,[20] Kodwa resigned from his parliamentary seat in order to work full-time from the ANC's headquarters at Luthuli House in Johannesburg.
[26] When Mabe was accused of sexual harassment in December 2018 and temporarily stepped aside as spokesman, Kodwa returned to his earlier role in an acting capacity.
[27] However, in February 2019, he too stepped aside from the spokesman role after separate allegations were laid against him:[28][29] a woman had written to the ANC to claim that Kodwa had drugged and raped her at a private event in a Sandton hotel in April 2018.
[38][39] In 2021, Kodwa was summoned to testified before the Zondo Commission, established to investigate allegations of state capture during Zuma's presidency.
[40] According to the final report of the Zondo Commission, published in 2022, Kodwa was paid an aggregate amount of R1.68 million by EOH and related agents between 2014 and 2015.
[41] The head of the commission, Justice Raymond Zondo, concluded in the commission's report that EOH executives had attempted to "induce [Kodwa] to interfere with procurement processes in the interests of EOH", but he also noted that there was no evidence of improprieties by Kodwa, given that he had been the ANC spokesman – not a public employee – at the time the payments were made.
However, the commission recommended that EOH should be investigated and prosecuted for its role in tender fraud and for its improper relationships with ANC politicians, including former Johannesburg Mayor Geoff Makhubo.
This point is made here in general and not necessarily suggesting that the commission is aware of any evidence that Mr Kodwa did not influence anybody to do anything improper or unlawful...
It is untenable for the deputy minister of state security to find himself in a position where he is beholden to a suspect in multiple criminal investigations.
[45] Weeks after the 55th National Conference, on 6 March 2023, President Ramaphosa announced a cabinet reshuffle in which Kodwa was appointed as Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, replacing Nathi Mthethwa.
[46][47] The reshuffle followed rumours that Fikile Mbalula had been lobbying for Kodwa to succeed him as Minister of Transport, a more senior portfolio than Sports, Arts and Culture.
In 2016, contracts worth R460 million were given by the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality to EOH Holdings to facilitate the upgrade of the metro's software systems.
[59] In December, the results of the police's blood-alcohol content testing were released, showing that Kodwa had not been drinking; the charges against him were dropped.