Kenneth Meshoe

Last updated

Lydia Meshoe
​
​
(m. 1976;died 2023)​
Kenneth Meshoe
MP
K Meshoe Toronto 2013.png
Kenneth Meshoe in 2013
Leader of the African Christian Democratic Party
Assumed office
9 December 1993
Children3
Alma mater University of the North
OccupationMember of Parliament
ProfessionPolitician
CommitteesPortfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation

Kenneth Rasalabe Joseph Meshoe (born 18 January 1954) is a South African evangelist, politician, reverend and teacher. He has been serving as the inaugural leader of the African Christian Democratic Party, a Christian democratic political party, since 1993. He became a Member of Parliament in 1994 and has since been re-elected five times. He is one of the longest-serving MPs.

Contents

Early life, education and career

Meshoe was born on 18 January 1954 in Pretoria, South Africa. He matriculated from high school in 1972 and went on to study at the University of the North where he obtained a Secondary Teachers Diploma in 1975. He then proceeded to work as a teacher for the next few years. [1]

He and his wife, Lydia, joined the Christ For All Nations in 1976. In February 1980, he found employment as one of Reinhard Bonnke's associate evangelists. He completed his second-year Theological Diploma at the Shekinah Bible Institute in Kingsport in the US state of Tennessee in 1987. [1]

He established his church, the Hope of Glory Tabernacle, in 1988, when he returned to South Africa. [1] In 1994, the Bethel Christian College of Riverside, California, awarded him an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Humane Letters). He was also appointed to serve as an Associate Member on the Board of Regents of Bethel College.

Political career

Meshoe in 2019 Rev. Kenneth Meshoe MP.jpg
Meshoe in 2019

Meshoe established the ACDP in December 1993. The party competed in the 1994 general elections and won two seats in the newly established National Assembly. Meshoe filled one of the seats. [1]

The party's support peaked in the 2004 general election when it won seven parliamentary seats and representation in six provincial legislatures. Meshoe was consequently re-elected as an MP. After the 2004 election, the ACDP started to decline in each election. [1] The party managed to arrest the decline in the 2019 general election. [2] Meshoe is currently serving his sixth term as an MP. [3] He is a member of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation. [4]

Political positions

Meshoe voted against the adoption of the final version of the South African constitution in 1996. [5] He also opposes abortion. [6] He voted against the legalisation of same-sex marriage in South Africa. [7]

Meshoe has voiced support for the previous DA mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Athol Trollip. [8] He has also spoken out on the issue of farm murders. [9]

Meshoe has voiced support for the State of Israel, [10] arguing against claims that Israel is an apartheid state, calling such accusations "slanderous" and "deceptive". According to Meshoe, these claims trivialise the word apartheid, and belittle the magnitude of the racism and suffering endured by non-white South Africans during the apartheid era. [11]

Personal life

Meshoe married Lydia Meshoe in 1976, with whom he went on to have three children. They renewed their vows in 2016. Lydia had previously served as a representative of the ACDP in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. [12] On 25 January 2023, the ACDP announced that Lydia had died. [13] Reverend Meshoe remarried Wonkie Ncoco, a former ANC MP in 2024.

Meshoe underwent a COVID-19 test on 22 March 2020 after he participated in a religious gathering in the Free State with five infected international guests. [14] [15] The ACDP deputy leader Wayne Thring announced on 27 March that Meshoe and fellow ACDP MP Steven Swart had tested positive for the virus. Meshoe did not show any symptoms, while Swart experienced flu-like symptoms. They were the first South African MPs to test positive for the virus. [16] [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inkatha Freedom Party</span> Right-wing political party in South Africa

The Inkatha Freedom Party is a conservative political party in South Africa. Although registered as a national party, it has had only minor electoral success outside its home province of KwaZulu-Natal. Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who served as chief minister of KwaZulu during the Apartheid period, founded the party in 1975 and led it until 2019. He was succeeded as party president in 2019 by Velenkosini Hlabisa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African Christian Democratic Party</span> Political party in South Africa

The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) is a South African political party founded in 1993. It is a conservative Christian party based on Biblical principles. The leader of the party is Kenneth Meshoe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. R. Swart</span> South African politician (1894–1982)

Charles Robberts Swart, nicknamed "Blackie", was a South African politician who served as the last governor-general of the Union of South Africa from 1959 to 1961 and the first state president of the Republic of South Africa from 1961 to 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 South African general election</span>

General elections were held in South Africa on Wednesday, 14 April 2004. The African National Congress (ANC) of President Thabo Mbeki, which came to power after the end of the apartheid system in 1994, was re-elected with an increased majority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Zille</span> South African politician (born 1951)

Otta Helene Maree, known as Helen Zille, is a South African politician. She has served as the Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance since 20 October 2019. From 2009 until 2019, she was the Premier of the Western Cape province for two five-year terms, and a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. She served as Federal Leader of the Democratic Alliance from 2007 to 2015 and as Mayor of Cape Town from 2006 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Schwarz</span> South African activist and politician

Harry Heinz Schwarz was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid in South Africa, who eventually served as the South African Ambassador to the United States during the country's transition to majority rule.

Grant Haskin is currently serving as Member of the Cape Town City Council and Leader of the African Christian Democratic Party in the Cape Town City Council. He previously served as Executive Deputy Mayor of Cape Town, Acting Mayor of Cape Town, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Sports and Amenities. He served in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament for two periods. While a Member of the Provincial Parliament, he served as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) and Special Delegate to the National Council of the Provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athol Trollip</span> South African politician

Roland Athol Price Trollip is a South African politician and provincial chairman of ActionSA in the Eastern Cape. He was previously a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), serving as the Federal Chairperson of the DA from 2015 to 2019 and the Executive Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, serving from 2016 until he was unseated in a vote of no confidence in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Fritz</span> South African politician

Albert Theo Fritz is a South African politician and advocate. He was the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Community Safety for two nonconconsecutive terms from 2010 to 2011 and again from 2019 until his dismissal from the position amid sexual misconduct allegations in 2022. He was a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament from 2010 until his resignation from the DA in 2022. He served as the interim Leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape from the suspension and resignation of Bonginkosi Madikizela in April 2021 until his resignation from the party in March 2022. He was also the deputy DA provincial leader 2017 to 2021. Fritz previously served as the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Social Development from 2011 to 2019. From 2009 to 2010, he was a Member of the National Assembly and the Shadow Deputy Minister of Correctional Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Steenhuisen</span> Leader of the Opposition in South Africa since 2019 (born 1976)

John Henry Steenhuisen is a South African politician who has served as the twentieth leader of the Opposition since October 2019 and has been the leader of the Democratic Alliance since November 2020, having served as the interim leader for one year from November 2019. He was chief whip of the official opposition from May 2014 until October 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mmusi Maimane</span> South African politician

Mmusi Aloysias Maimane is a South African politician, businessman, and leader of Build One South Africa, a political party. Maimane is also the former Leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) political party from 10 May 2015 to 23 October 2019, and the former Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of South Africa from 29 May 2014 to 24 October 2019. He is the former leader of the DA in the Johannesburg City Council and the DA National Spokesperson. In 2011, he was elected to be the DA's Johannesburg mayoral candidate in the 2011 municipal elections. In that election, Maimane helped to grow the party's voter base, but was not elected mayor. Thereafter he served as Leader of the Official Opposition on the Johannesburg City Council until May 2014. In addition to his political career, he is also a pastor and elder at Liberty Church. He formed the One South Africa Movement in 2020. Mmusi Maimane launched this new political party, Build One South Africa on 24 September 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agang South Africa</span> Political party in South Africa

Agang South Africa is a South African political party, first announced by anti-apartheid activist Mamphela Ramphele on 18 February 2013, and founded on 22 June 2013, the date of the party's first official congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 South African general election</span>

General elections were held in South Africa on 8 May 2019 to elect a new President, National Assembly and provincial legislatures in each province. These were the sixth elections held since the end of apartheid in 1994 and determined who would become the next President of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghaleb Cachalia</span> South African politician

Ghaleb Cachalia is a South African businessman and former Member of Parliament (MP). He is the son of anti-Apartheid activists Amina and Yusuf Cachalia, and a relative of former African National Congress (ANC) MP Ismail Mahomed Cachalia.

Mongameli Bobani was a South African politician and lawyer. He served as the Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality from August 2018 until December 2019. He was previously the Deputy Executive Mayor and the Member of Mayoral Committee for Public Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political parties that contested the 2019 South African general election</span> Parties that contested the 2019 South African general election

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced on 20 March 2019 that a record number of 48 parties had registered candidates for the national parliamentary election. This is 19 more parties that contested the 2014 national elections. In the provincial legislature elections, the total number of parties registering candidates were:

Wayne Maxim Thring is a South African teacher and politician who serves as the deputy president of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP). He was sworn in as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa in May 2019. Thring had previously served as an MP in the same house in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vytjie Mentor</span> South African politician (1963–2022)

Mabel Patronella Mentor, known as Vytjie Mentor, was a South African politician, who served as a member of the National Assembly from 2002 until 2014. She represented the African National Congress and served as the party's caucus chairperson between 2004 and 2008. She was chairperson of the portfolio committee on public enterprises from 2009 to 2010. She is credited to be one of the first people to break ranks with the ANC and raise the alarm on state capture.

Louis Michael Green is a South African politician who served in the National Assembly from 1994 to 2009. He was the chief whip of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) until September 2005, when he crossed the floor to the newly founded Federation of Democrats (FD). He has since joined the Congress of the People (COPE).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Political Leader: Kenneth Meshoe, African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP)". The South African. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  2. ↑ Gous, Nico (10 May 2019). "ANC in clear lead, DA slips, EFF and FF+ grow: Election results taking shape". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  3. ↑ Ndenze, Babalo (23 May 2019). "Opposition parties congratulate President Ramaphosa, Malema gives warning". EWN. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  4. ↑ "Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation". Parliament of South Africa. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  5. ↑ "acdp - media - speech by K R Meshoe - 05/96" (PDF). www.justice.gov.za. A number of clauses that were promoted and endorsed by other political parties, which we as the ACDP feel undermine biblical principles, have been included in this document. Consequently we are forced to vote against it.
  6. ↑ Janse van Rensburg, Alet (19 April 2019). "The time has come for a godly government - ACDP's Meshoe". Elections'19 - News24. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  7. ↑ Tuesday, 14 November 2006. Proceedings of the National Assembly. Retrieved 27 March 2020
  8. ↑ Friedman, Daniel. "ACDP's Meshoe slams DA 'arrogance' after Trollip removed by 'racists'". The Citizen. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  9. ↑ "AfriForum in Australia to highlight farm murders in SA". Polity.org.za. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  10. ↑ "Reinstate ambassador to Israel – "SA Christians"". Polity.org.za. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  11. ↑ "European Reporter Questions South African Member of Parliament on Israeli Apartheid Charge". youtube.com. IIACF. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  12. ↑ "ACDP couple still in love after 40 years". TimesLIVE. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  13. ↑ "ACDP leader's wife has passed away". SABC News. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  14. ↑ "ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe tested for coronavirus". IOL. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  15. ↑ "ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe tests positive for COVID-19". EWN. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  16. ↑ Thring, Wayne. "ACDP statement on COVID 19 test results of Rev Kenneth Meshoe and Steve Swart MP". ACDP. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  17. ↑ Madia, Tshidi (27 March 2020). "Coronavirus in SA: ACDP's Kenneth Meshoe and Steve Swart test positive". News24. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Position established
 Leader of the African Christian Democratic Party
1993–present		Incumbent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.