The Democratic Alliance is a South African political party and the official opposition to the ruling African National Congress (ANC). The party is broadly centrist,and has been attributed both centre-left and centre-right policies. It is a member of Liberal International and the Africa Liberal Network. The DA traces its roots to the founding of the anti-apartheid Progressive Party in 1959,with many mergers and name changes between that time and the present. The DA ideologically shows a variety of liberal tendencies,including social liberalism,classical liberalism,and conservative liberalism.
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is a centre-left,social-democratic,South African political party,formed by a prominent former National Party leader,Roelf Meyer,a former African National Congress and Transkei homeland leader,General Bantu Holomisa,and a former ANC Executive Committee member,John Taylor. It has an anti-separatist,pro-diversity platform;and supports an individualist South Africa with a strong moral sense,in both social and economic senses.
Qubudile Richard Dyantyi has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly since 2019. Before that,he was a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament and served as the Western Cape's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Local Government and Housing from 2005 to 2008. In 2021,he was elected chairperson of the national parliament's Committee for the Section 194 Enquiry into Busisiwe Mkhwebane's fitness to hold office.
Lynne Brown is a South African politician who is a former Minister of Public Enterprises and former Premier of the Western Cape Province. She was born in Cape Town and grew up in Mitchells Plain. She was appointed Premier of the Western Cape following the resignation of Ebrahim Rasool in July 2008. Previously,she was Minister for Economic Development and Tourism. She is a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and an elected member of its National Executive Committee in 2007 and 2012. She is from a coloured background and was the fourth coloured premier of the Western Cape,the second from the ANC,and the first openly gay person to be appointed to a cabinet post in any African government.
Mbulelo Sogoni is a South African politician. A member of the African National Congress (ANC),Sogoni became the fourth Premier of the Eastern Cape on 25 July 2008 when he replaced Nosimo Balindlela until he was succeeded by Noxolo Kiviet on 6 May 2009 following 2009 election. Sogoni entered politics in the trade union movement during apartheid in South Africa and unsuccessfully lobbied for Thabo Mbeki to remain President of the ANC during the 2007 National Conference.
The Congress of the People (COPE) is a South African political party formed in 2008 by former members of the African National Congress (ANC). The party was founded by former ANC members Mosiuoa Lekota,Mbhazima Shilowa and Mluleki George to contest the 2009 general election. The party was announced following a national convention held in Sandton on 1 November 2008,and was founded at a congress held in Bloemfontein on 16 December 2008. The name echoes the 1955 Congress of the People at which the Freedom Charter was adopted by the ANC and other parties,a name strongly contested by the ANC in a legal move dismissed by the Pretoria High Court.
Tina Monica Joemat-Pettersson was a South African politician who served as the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police from July 2019 until her death in June 2023. A member of the African National Congress,Joemat-Petterson had previously served as the Minister of Agriculture,Forestry and Fisheries from 2009 until 2014 and as the Minister of Energy from May 2014 until March 2017 under President Jacob Zuma.
Sylvia Elizabeth Lucas is the current Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces in the Republic of South Africa,after having taken office on 23 May 2019. From 2013 to 2019,she served as the 4th Premier of the Northern Cape Province. She was elected and inaugurated as the successor to Hazel Jenkins. Lucas briefly served as acting premier and before her appointment,as the MEC for Environmental Affairs in the Northern Cape Provincial Government.
Godfrey Phumulo Masualle is a South African politician from the Eastern Cape who has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly since May 2019. He was Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises from May 2019 to March 2023,and before that he was the sixth Premier of the Eastern Cape from May 2014 to May 2019.
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.
The 2019 Western Cape provincial election was held on 8 May 2019 to elect the 6th Western Cape Provincial Parliament. It was the sixth provincial election held since the establishment of the provincial legislature in 1994.
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:
Pemmy Castelina Pamela Majodina is a South African politician serving as a Member of the National Assembly since 2019. A member of the African National Congress,she is the party's chief whip in the assembly. She was formerly a Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature between 2004 and 2019 and a Member of the provincial Executive Council for five different portfolios from 2008 to 2019,respectively. Majodina was a permanent delegate to the National Council of Provinces from 1994 to 2004.
Desery Finies is a South African politician from the Northern Cape who has been the province's MEC for Sport,Arts and Culture since 28 June 2020. She was sworn in as a member of the provincial legislature on 12 June. Finies is a member of the African National Congress.
Pumza Patricia Dyantyi was a South African politician and anti-apartheid activist. A member of the African National Congress,Dyantyi was elected to the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature in 2014. She served as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Health from 2014 to 2018,when she was appointed MEC for Social Development. From 2019 Dyantyi was a member of the South African National Assembly.
Weziwe Tikana is a South African politician,educator and trade unionist. She was the Eastern Cape MEC for Transport,Safety and Liaison from 2014 until 2022. She has been a member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature since 2014. Tikana is a member of the African National Congress.
Matodzi Mirriam Ramadwa is a South African politician. A member of the African National Congress,she was elected to the Limpopo Provincial Legislature in 2009. In 2013,she was appointed as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Sports,Arts and Culture. Ramada was elected as the speaker of the provincial legislature in 2014. In 2015,she resigned as speaker. Ramadwa was elected to the National Assembly of South Africa in 2019.
Nokuzola Gladys Tolashe,also known as Sisisi "Sisi" Tolashe,is a South African politician from the Eastern Cape. She was elected as president of the African National Congress (ANC) Women's League in July 2023. In government,Tolashe has been the Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women,Youth and Persons with Disabilities since March 2023.
Lorato Venus Blennies is a South African politician who has been the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Youth,Women,Disability,Communication and E-Government of the Northern Cape and a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature since October 2022. Blennies is a member of the African National Congress.
Shepherd Malusi Mayatula,sometimes misspelled Shepherd Mayathula,is a retired South African politician and economist from the Eastern Cape. He represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2009 and later from 2011 to 2014. During that time,he chaired the Portfolio Committee on Education from 2004 to 2009.
