The Independent Democrats (ID) was a South African political party, formed by former Pan Africanist Congress member Patricia de Lille in 2003 via floor crossing legislation. The party's platform was premised on opposition to corruption, with a mixture of liberal principles and strategies for improving equity. The party's strongholds were the Northern and Western Cape.
Lindiwe Nonceba Sisulu is a South African politician. She represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly of South Africa between April 1994 and March 2023. During that time, from 2001 to 2023, she served continuously in the cabinet as a minister under four consecutive presidents. President Cyril Ramaphosa sacked her from his cabinet in March 2023, precipitating her resignation from the National Assembly.
Although the Democratic Alliance of South Africa in its present form is fairly new, its roots can be traced far back in South African political history, through a complex sequence of splits and mergers.
Roland Athol Price Trollip is a South African politician and provincial chairman of ActionSA in the Eastern Cape.
Natasha Wendy Anita MazzoneMP OSI is a South African politician who served as the Chief Whip of the Official Opposition in the National Assembly of South Africa from October 2019 until August 2022. She has been a Member of the National Assembly, representing the official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), since 2009. She was the second Deputy Federal Council Chairperson of the DA and the party's spokesperson on state capture. Mazzone has previously served as Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises and of Communications.
South Africa's Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet consists of Members of the National Assembly who scrutinise their corresponding office holders in the executive branch of government and develop alternative policies for their respective portfolios. The Democratic Alliance (DA) retained their position as official opposition in the 2019 general election and Mmusi Maimane announced his shadow cabinet on 5 June 2019.
Annelie Lotriet is a South African politician who is currently serving as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa since June 2024. She has served in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet since she joined the National Assembly in 2009. She is also a Deputy Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Council.
Helen Lamoela is a retired South Africa politician and educator. She served as a Member of the National Assembly from 2009 to 2014, representing the opposition Democratic Alliance. She previously served as Member of the National Council of Provinces from 2004 to 2009. She served in the Shadow Cabinet of Athol Trollip as Shadow Deputy Minister of Social Development from 2009 to 2012, and in the Shadow Cabinet of Lindiwe Mazibuko as Shadow Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities from 2012 to 2014.
John Henry Steenhuisen is a South African politician who is currently serving as Minister of Agriculture since June 2024. He has been the leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) since November 2020, having served as the interim leader for one year from November 2019. He served as the twentieth leader of the Opposition from October 2019 to June 2024. Pursuant to the 2024 South African general election, he was appointed to the third cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa when the DA joined the Government of National Unity (GNU).
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 became the first black South African to lead the DA.
Kevin John Mileham is a South African politician, a Member of the South African Parliament for the Democratic Alliance and the Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy. Mileham was first elected to Parliament on 3 June 2013, replacing Athol Trollip. His first parliamentary role was as the Shadow Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development. After the 2014 National Elections, he was appointed the Shadow Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. In February 2019, he was appointed as Shadow Minister of Energy. After the National and Provincial Elections on 8 May 2019, Mileham was appointed as Shadow Minister of the expanded portfolio of Mineral Resources and Energy. Mileham was re-elected to Parliament in 2024.
The Democratic Alliance held its 6th Federal Congress in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape from 9 May to 10 May 2015. After incumbent leader Helen Zille announced she would not seek reelection, the Congress became focused on the contest to succeed her.
The Democratic Alliance retained their position as official opposition in South Africa following the 2009 general elections and announced their shadow cabinet on May 15.
The Shadow Cabinet of Lindiwe Mazibuko succeeded the Shadow Cabinet of Athol Trollip as the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet. Not long after Lindiwe Mazibuko was elected as the parliamentary leader by the Democratic Alliance's caucus on 27 October 2011, she announced a new shadow cabinet, on 1 February 2012.
Deborah Anne "Debbie" Schäfer is a South African politician and lawyer who served as the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Education and a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament for the Democratic Alliance (DA) from 2014 to 2022. Prior to serving in the provincial government, Schäfer served as a Member of the National Assembly from 2009 to 2014.
Annette Steyn is a South African retired politician, formerly a Member of the National Assembly for the official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA). Steyn was first elected to Parliament in 2009 and served in the Shadow Cabinet in various positions. She was also at one stage the DA Eastern Cape Provincial Chairperson.
Siviwe Gwarube is a South African politician who is currently serving as Minister of Basic Education since July 2024. A member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), she was the Chief Whip of the Official Opposition between August 2022 and June 2024. She joined the National Assembly of South Africa in the May 2019 general election.
Andricus Pieter van der Westhuizen is a South African politician who served as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament from May 2019 until May 2024. Prior to serving in the provincial parliament, he served in the national parliament as a Member of the National Assembly from May 2009 until May 2019. Van der Westhuizen is a member of the Democratic Alliance.
Theo Willem Coetzee was a South African politician. He served as a member of the National Assembly of South Africa for the Democratic Alliance from 2009 until his defection to the Freedom Front Plus ahead of the 2014 general election. From 2019 Coetzee was the sole representative of the Freedom Front Plus in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature.
Gareth van Onselen is a South African political strategist, pollster, and commentator. A former head of communications for the opposition Democratic Alliance, he resigned from the party acrimoniously in 2013. He currently runs Victory Research, a market research company. Until May 2023, he also wrote a regular column in the Business Day.
