About this site

This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. It is the product of almost two decades of research and includes analyses, chronologies, historical documents, and interviews from the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

Camerer, Sheila Margaret

Click here for list of interviews

Sheila Camerer was born in South Africa on 15 December 1941. She graduated from the University of Cape Town with a BA LLB, and was Rag Queen in 1960

She was admitted as an Advocate in 1964, and admitted as an Attorney in 1978. She practised as a Prosecutor in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court in 1965, subsequently becoming a journalist with the Financial Mail from 1966 to 1975. She practised as an Attorney during the years 1976 – 2003.

She began her political career as a Johannesburg City Councillor in the years 1982 – 1987. She was Provincial Councillor for Rosettenville from June 1984 till 1986; Member of Parliament for Rosettenville from May 1987 to April 1994 and a member of the National Assembly from May 1994 to the present time.

In April 1993 she was appointed Deputy Minister of Justice. She was a member of Working Group 2 of CODESA and was again Deputy Minister of Justice from March to June 1996, when she resigned from the government of national unity as a member of the National Party (NP). She was leader of the New National party in the National Assembly from October 1997 until June 1999.

She has been Chairperson of NNP Parliamentary Caucus from June 1999 to the present time; NNP Chief Spokesperson on Justice & Women's Affairs; Member of Judicial Service Commission 08/1999 to the present time; Member of the Board of the South African Literacy Initiative May 2000 to the present; Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance (Alliance of the Democratic Party (DP) & the New National Party) Parliamentary Caucus August 2000 to October 2001. In March 2003 she rejoined the Democratic Alliance and was appointed DA Justice Spokesperson. She is a member of the DA Federal Council and the DA Federal Executive Mrs Camerer's present parliamentary activities consist of :

1994 – 2004 Membership of Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Justice and Constitutional Development, Joint Committee on Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of Women, Constitutional Review Committee and Foreign Affairs.

This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. Return to theThis resource is hosted by the site.