The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, Ms. Nkoana Mashabane, was appointed by President Jacob Zuma on 09 May 2009. During her term as the MEC for Local Government & Housing in Limpopo the Department won the National Govan Mbeki Housing Award for “Best Provincial Housing Department in South Africa 2008”. 

Ms Nkoana-Mashabane was named newsmaker of the year for 2008 by the Polokwane Chamber of Business. The Department also won 7 other awards including “The department doing the most to accelerate service delivery”.