Lulama "Lulu" Marytheresa Xingwana (born 23 September 1955) is a South African politician who served as Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities from November 2010 to May 2014. Previously she held the position of Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy from 2004 to 2006 and was Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs from 2006 to 2009, succeeding Thoko Didiza. Education Xingwana obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Witwatersrand in 1985 and three postgraduate diplomas, one in Economic Principles from the University of Limpopo in 2002, and the other two in Development and Leadership Studies, and Rural Development from the University of Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe. Political career Xingwana became a Member of Parliament after the 1994 South African elections. She is currently also chairperson of the Southern African Development Community's Regional Women's Caucus and director of the South African Council of Churches' Women's Development Programmes (1987). She has chaired the Joint Monitoring Committee for the Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of Women (2002–2004), the Parliamentary Women's Caucus (1999–2004), the Malibongwe Rural Development Project for Women (1998–2000) and the National Assembly Portfolio Committee for Sports and Recreation (1994–1999). She has been a tutor of Classes for Domestic Workers in rural areas and the suburbs of Johannesburg, as well as for Learn and Teach, since 1985. From 1999 to 2004, she was on the National Assembly Portfolio Committee for Defence. She has also been on the ANC's Provincial Executive Council for Gauteng (1998–2001) and the National Assembly Portfolio Committee: Environmental Affairs and Tourism (1996–2004), Head of Development for the ANC Women's League (1991–1994) and a member of FEDSWA (1981–1991). Her membership to the United Democratic Front lasted from 1983 until 1991, and she has been a member of the ANC Women's League since 1993. Xingwana has spoken of her opposition to the return of Capital punishment in South Africa stating that "it is against our ethos of human rights" and the democratic values of the country. Controversy In her appointment as Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister, Xingwana caused controversy in 2007 when she accused white farmers of being cruel and inhumane towards their workers. She claimed that farmers regularly "rape and assault" their workers. These statements enraged many farmers, and two farm unions, AgriSA and the Transvaal Agricultural Union, challenged her to provide evidence that would support her accusations. The minister called for a meeting with