Phindile Mnabe
Mrs. Phindile Mnabe is an experienced educator and dedicated trade unionist. She was appointed as an educator by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (KZN DOE) in 1992. She was promoted to Deputy Head (DH) in 1999, and in 2014, she was appointed Principal of Bhekisisa High School. In 2020, she joined Vuyiswa Mtolo Secondary School, where she continues to serve as Principal.
Mrs. Mnabe has been Vice President of the National Teachers’ Union (NATU) since September 2025. In this role, she is responsible for statistics, recruitment, and retention of NATU members. Her portfolio focuses on growing the union’s membership base and implementing effective strategies to retain existing members. She works closely with full-time shop stewards in planning and executing national recruitment drives. She also supervises NATU structures in the Durban, South Coast, and Free State regions, as well as two branches in the North West Province.
She joined NATU in 1999 and served multiple terms as Coordinator for Professional Matters at the Inanda Branch, where she drove the professional development of educators and represented members in various educational forums. In 2014, she moved to the KwaMashu Branch and was elected Coordinator for Professional Matters. She later served the Durban Region in the same capacity before being elected Regional Secretary, where she managed all official correspondence and communication between the region and its stakeholders. In 2018, she was elected Chairperson of the Durban Region, a position she held until 2025. During her tenure, she worked tirelessly with the Regional Executive to significantly improve the region’s effectiveness and change the attitude of the Umlazi and Pinetown districts in discharging the mandates of the KZN DOE.
Mrs. Mnabe has represented NATU as a National Adjudicator for the National Teaching Awards. In 2018, she participated in the ILERA Congress held in South Korea, engaging in discussions on international labour laws and employment relations. She has also served as a negotiator in the KZN PELRC and actively contributed to various committees within the council.
