Roy Padayachie

Radhakrishna Lutchmana "Roy" Padayachie (1 May 1950 – 5 May 2012) was a South African politician and activist. He was a cabinet minister between November 2010 and his death in May 2012. At the same time he represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly between April 2004 and May 2012.

Born and raised in Durban, Padayachie worked as a chemist from 1974 to 1980, as a community organiser in Chatsworth from 1980 to 1999, and as a business consultant from 1999 to 2004. Throughout that time he was prominent in civic and political activism in Durban; as an anti-apartheid activist, he served in leadership positions in the Natal Indian Congress and United Democratic Front. He joined the ANC underground in 1972.

Padayachie joined the National Assembly in the April 2004 general election and served as Deputy Minister of Communications until May 2009 under Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe. Under President Jacob Zuma, he served as Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration from May 2009 to October 2010 before being elevated to Zuma's cabinet. He was Minister of Communications from November 2010 to October 2011 and then was Minister of Public Service and Administration from October 2011 to May 2012. He died in office on an official visit to Addis Ababa.