Ms Naidoo hails from Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, where she completed her schooling and tertiary education and commenced her legal career, initially as a candidate attorney and subsequently as a practicing attorney. She was enrolled as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, in Pietermaritzburg in 1995.

She cut her teeth in legislative practices and constitutional law, through her work in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature where she was appointed as a Legal Advisor in the early years of the new democratic dispensation.  She was at the forefront of establishing systems and processes for the legislative arm of government in South Africa and went on to become a Senior Legal Advisor before she joined the Ethekweni Municipality as the first Ombudsperson and Head of Investigations.

Ms Naidoo was ultimately appointed the Secretary of the KZN Legislature in 2005, which is the highest administrative office in the legislative arm of government.  She has served in this position for 4 consecutive terms (approximately 19 years).  She remains the longest serving Secretary in the legislative sector as she is one of 9 Secretaries leading provincial legislatures in the country. 

In government terms, she is the Accounting Officer or Head of Department and in private sector terms, she operates as the Chief Executive Officer of the KZN Legislature.

She ensured and facilitated the close out, transition and establishment of 4 administrations of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, ensuring seamless transition and responding to electoral outcomes, thus contributing to constitutional democracy.

She has more than 27 years of management experience, with 22 years in executive management and 5 years in general management. She has a vast knowledge of the legislative sector environment and legislative drafting and passing of legislation.

She is credited for transforming and strengthening management structures to enhance institutional performance planning, internal controls and systems. She presided over the digitization and modernization of the KZN Legislature.

She is credited for KZN Legislature’s stability largely because of her abilities in establishing harmonious interaction between the administrative and political wings of the Legislature. She has ensured that young employees grow into the management cadre and facilitated opportunities for legislature staff to explore and grow as cadres of the sector, nationally and internationally.

At a sector level, she served as Secretary of the Secretaries Forum of the Country, an association that reports to the Speakers Forum of South Africa. She also served as Treasurer and is currently the Deputy Chairperson of the Secretaries Forum. 

Internationally, she is a member of the Society of Clerks at the Table, Africa Region and of the Commonwealth and participates in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.  In this context, she has participated as part of a three member team in a benchmark assessment of the Botswana Parliament and as also presented papers internationally on matters relevant to Parliament.

She is currently a member of the board of the Parliamentary Institute of South Africa.

Education and Credentials

Masters of Commerce in Leadership – UKZN

Postgraduate Diploma in Criminal Justice and Forensic Audit – UKZN

Postgraduate Diploma in Industrial Relations  – University of Natal

Bachelor of Law degree – University of Natal (PMB campus)

Bachelor of Arts degree – University of Natal (PMB campus)

Matric – Heather Secondary School in PMB

Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa