Ms Thandi Modise is the Premier of North West province from 19 November 2010. She is a member of the National Executive Committee of African National Congress (ANC) and a Councillor of the Robben Island Museum.

Ms Modise holds a B.Comm degree in Industrial Psychology and Economics; and obtained a Certificate of a Trainer in Military Training; and a Certificate in Gender Studies. She has also attended a special Leadership Course from the University of Jordan in United States of America (USA).

She is currently studying towards a Masters degree in Economics.

Ms Modise was jailed for ten years for fighting the Apartheid regime in 1976. Later she became a speaker of North West provincial Legislature; a Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence from 1998 to 2004; and a Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee for the ratification of the Convention to Eliminate all forms of Discrimination against Women in the National Assembly.

She was also a Deputy President of the African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) from 1994 to 2004; a President of ANC Women's League in 2004; a member of Parliament from 1998 to 2004 and a member of ANC Women's Executive Committee since 1994.

She participated in the Peace-building Activities such as Peace Mission to stabilise regions such as East Timor, Nigeria and Rwanda; Contribution to International Conferences, highlighting women's roles in negotiations and conflict resolution; Campaign for the adoption and implementation of Affirmative Action programmes to combat Gender and Race Discrimination in South Africa.

She also participated in leading debates in the National Assembly on investigation into controversial mult-billion-rands arms deal with Yemen and led South Africa's parliamentary fact-finding mission to the Middle East, which recommended South Africa's position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

She was a member of the inclusive Security: Women Waging Peace Policy Commission; a member of the Board of Ilitha la Bathu and a member of the Board of International Security Studies.

Ms Modise presented has Papers titled 'Sustaining Democracy in post-Apartheid South Africa; the role of gender in the DDR in Sudan; the role of NGOs in the struggle against HIV and AIDS amongt women in South Africa; Conceptualising moral regeneration with specific reference to sexual harassment and Effects of women's involvement in conflict resolution processes'.

She has also presented papers titled 'Elements of post-conflict recovery and reconstruction; Engineering Security Sector Reform; Civil-military relations; Women's contribution to Peace and NEPAD: women in South Africa's struggle for Liberation.