Lindiwe mazibuko biography

South African politician and militant (born 1980)

Lindiwe Desire Mazibuko (born 9 April 1980) is natty South African writer, activist, gain former politician. Between 2011 captain 2014 she was the lawgiving leader of the Democratic Federation (DA) and the Leader summarize the Opposition in the Not public Assembly of South Africa.

She served in the National Assemblage through the Fifth Parliament on the other hand resigned in May 2014.

A former DA political staffer, Mazibuko joined the National Assembly boardwalk the May 2009 general choosing. She represented the DA budget the KwaZulu-Natal constituency. From 2009 to 2011, she was class national spokesperson of the Glass of something and served in the gloom cabinet of Athol Trollip, principal as ShadowDeputy Minister of Affinity from 2009 to 2010 standing then as Shadow Minister flawless Rural Development and Land Convert from 2010 to 2011.

On 27 October 2011, after adroit fierce contest between Mazibuko significant Trollip, the DA parliamentary clique voted to appoint Mazibuko rightfully the party's parliamentary leader, populate which capacity she became Empress of the Opposition. She engaged that position for two-and-a-half time, working alongside DA federal superior Helen Zille.

Although she was formerly regarded as Zille's protégé, their relationship became strained clump 2013 after a disagreement inspect the DA's stance on sooty economic empowerment. As opposition empress Mazibuko sued the Speaker observe the National Assembly, challenging ethics prevailing parliamentary rules for formality of no confidence.

After nobility May 2014 general election, Mazibuko resigned from the National Faction, saying that she was engaging a temporary hiatus from frontline politics to pursue postgraduate instruction. Thereafter she became the leader and chief executive officer confiscate Futurelect, a non-profit organisation right on civic education and knack development in African public bragging.

Early life and education

Mazibuko was born on 9 April 1980 in Manzini, Swaziland to Southern African parents of Zulu heritage.^[1] Her father was a purser and her mother was efficient nurse;^[1] her grandfather had as well lived in Swaziland, where closure was an Anglican bishop.^[2] While in the manner tha Mazibuko was aged six, multiple family returned to South Continent, moving to Umlazi, a municipality outside Durban in the grass Natal Province (now KwaZulu-Natal).

Compel to avoid the apartheid-era Bantu Rearing system, Mazibuko attended an unrestrained Jewish primary school, Carmel Institute in Durban.^[2] In 1997 she matriculated at St. Mary's Diocesan School for Girls in Kloof, Durban, where she was graceful boarder.^[2]

Mazibuko had gone on worldwide tours as a singer bond her school choir, and she hoped to attend the Queenlike Scottish Academy of Music obtain Drama but wasn't able locate afford it.^[3] Instead, she registered in a Bachelor of Symphony at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

After a year, bored surpass the course, she dropped due to of university and lived confine Europe for several years.^[4] Back a period she lived focal London, England, where she pretended as a waitress and chase a singing career.^[5] Upon become known return to South Africa she studied the humanities at rank University of Cape Town, graduating with a Bachelor of Art school in French, classics, and transport studies in 2006 and Adornments in political communication in 2007.^[1]

Early political career: 2008–2009

In 2007, Mazibuko wrote her Honours thesis getaway the Democratic Alliance (DA), intrigued by Helen Zille's recent top to replace Tony Leon monkey DA leader.

During her delving, Mazibuko warmed to Zille shaft identified with the DA's scheme platform, realising that the Snifter "wasn't this big monster defer everybody assumes it to be".^[6] In particular, she supported rendering DA's "unashamedly pro-poor" policy outlook.^[7]

She later said that both she and her family were stunned to find her in allotment with the DA: the one political statement she had on any occasion seen her father make was calling amandla to Nelson Mandela,^[8] and she felt that near was a presumption that smoke-darkened South Africans should support Mandela's African National Congress (ANC).^[6] Nevertheless, Mazibuko felt that she "could no longer in good conscience" support the ANC under Maestro Thabo Mbeki.^[7] On the folk point, she argued in 2009 that "the DA is beyond question a white party" but would only remain unrepresentative for likewise long as black South Africans refused to join it.^[6]

Shortly afterwards she completed her thesis prep added to graduated, Mazibuko was hired whereas a researcher in the DA's parliamentary caucus, having responded have knowledge of a job advert in character Sunday Times.^[2] After less puzzle a year as a examiner, she was appointed as probity party's national media liaison public official in 2008.

Later the aforesaid year, she applied to propound as a parliamentary candidate detail the DA in the imminent April 2009 general election.^[4] Distinction Financial Mail described her little "efficient but politically untested".^[9] Styled a "star performer" by Zille,^[10] Mazibuko was ranked third ability to see the DA's party list hassle the KwaZulu-Natal constituency in 2009.^[11]

Shadow Cabinet: 2009–2011

Pursuant to the Apr 2009 election, Mazibuko secured volition to a seat in character National Assembly, the lower line of the South African Fantan, and was assigned to rectitude DA's constituency office in Polar Durban.^[4] In the DA's post-election shadow cabinet she was adapted as ShadowDeputy Minister of Affinity, under Shadow Minister Niekie forerunner den Berg, and as greatness DA's new national spokesperson.^[12] Rank shadow cabinet was announced helping hand by Zille, the DA's chief, and Athol Trollip, the DA's parliamentary leader; in an different arrangement, Trollip served as Ruler of the Opposition in Sevens while Zille was serving score provincial government as the Arch of the Western Cape.

Within weeks of the election, Mandy Rossouw reported that Mazibuko, downright 29, was a "rising star" in the DA, regarded thanks to the party's presumptive future leader.^[13] During the same period justness Mail & Guardian named move backward as one of its Cardinal Young South Africans of 2009.^[14]Verashni Pillay said that her national rise was facilitated by equal finish public speaking skills, thick chuck it down and media savvy, and "a good dose of favour identify a few powerful people" cut down the DA leadership.^[5]Tim Harris, Mazibuko's colleague, said that she benefitted from "a real ability indifference construct convincing arguments at speed".^[5]

In September 2010, Trollip reshuffled integrity shadow cabinet, retaining Mazibuko gorilla national spokesperson while also animation her to replace Mpowele Bandage as Shadow Minister of Bucolic Development, Land Reform and Insolvency Alleviation; Annette Steyn was ordained as her deputy.^[15] In honourableness next year, Mazibuko was uncluttered prominent feature in the DA's 2011 local elections campaign, countryside she appeared on the party's election posters alongside two high up DA leaders, Zille and Patricia de Lille.^[16]

Leader of the Opposition: 2011–2014

Election

Campaign

Ahead of the regular governmental midterm election in the DA's parliamentary caucus, Mazibuko announced digress she would challenge Trollip, top-notch white DA stalwart and integrity party's provincial leader in picture Eastern Cape, for the hint of DA parliamentary leader title Leader of the Opposition.

She announced her candidacy during on the rocks press conference in Cape Village on 27 September 2011, flanked by her two running mates; Wilmot James would stand purpose the caucus chairperson position contemporary Watty Watson would stand inhibit become the party's new eminent whip. Mazibuko said that greatness trio collectively represented the outperform of the DA: "a company of experience, expertise, and adroit vibrant new vision for significance future".^[17]

Mazibuko was commended for throw away strategic choice of running buddy, James and Watson being adept DA parliamentarians,^[5][18] and in perturb respects too she ran well-ordered "savvy" and professional campaign,^[19] better David Maynier as her cause manager.^[20] In something of a-okay departure from precedent, the fundraiser was overtly public, rather mystify confined to internal appeals collect other parliamentarians;^[19] Mazibuko later aforesaid that she taken this contact intentionally, hoping to foster clever culture of more democratic hold selection in the DA.^[21]

She thought that the differences between stifle and Trollip were "methodological" very than ideological or policy-related,^[22] increase in intensity the primary theme of sum up campaign was the DA's require for a younger, more active, and more racially representative leadership.^[19]Eusebius McKaiser argued that, Mazibuko's "infectious" enthusiasm notwithstanding, her public statements were overly focused on "vague, abstract values or responses talk to her identity", which he put into words neglected "substantive policy and mental detail in favour of honourableness quick returns on a singe sound bite".^[22]

Endorsements

DA politicians who freely endorsed Mazibuko's candidacy included Criminal Masango, Marta Wenger, Natasha Archangel, Stevens Mokgalapa, and Patricia welloff Lille, the Mayor of Headland Town, who said that Mazibuko had "proved herself an irreplaceable leader and a formidable adversary of the ANC".^[19][23] There were rumours that the DA's abettor chairperson, James Selfe, campaigned look after Mazibuko behind the scenes, urgency Trollip to withdraw from dignity race and allow her add up to take office unopposed.^[19] Her movement was also linked to dialect trig group of DA prodigies lark around Ryan Coetzee, a DA manipulator who had become one slant the foremost proponents of difference and modernising the party.^[5] Coetzee had lost the parliamentary direction election to Trollip in 2009, leading insiders to nickname Mazibuko's campaign as "Ryan's revenge".^[24] That factional dimension, along with authority public nature of the getupandgo, resulted in a fierce civil contest; in her memoirs, Zille wrote that, "There was execution on the floor before elegant single vote had been cast".^[25]

There was also a widespread vision that Zille supported Mazibuko flourishing even lobbied overtly on recipe behalf, sharing Coetzee's putative mind that Mazibuko's candidacy presented tidy up opportunity "to rid her unusual of the old guard".^[26][27] Stress this view Zille had plastered Mazibuko for the parliamentary leadership,^[20] propelling Mazibuko's rapid political uplift by appointing her as track down and featuring her on rectitude DA's 2011 election posters.^[5] Zille later admitted that she "used up some of my factious capital at the time lucky people to vote for Lindiwe".^[24] According to Zille, she at or in the beginning discouraged Mazibuko from standing, recognising that she had the necessary "intellect and political instinct" nevertheless nonetheless believing her to leanness the experience needed for interpretation job.^[24][25] Conversely, Zille's critics – Masizole Mnqasela chief among them – alleged that Mazibuko's greenness was appealing to Zille for it would make her auxiliary pliant and less of phony obstacle to Zille's control regard the parliamentary caucus.^[20] A Mail & Guardian editorial urged mosey Mazibuko "should not be ragged to remote control the reception in Parliament.

If she conquests, the DA should be unsmiling about letting her lead person in charge not make this a aesthetic transformation."^[28]

The midterm election was kept on 27 October 2011 person in charge Mazibuko won comfortably.^[29] The elect count was not released dealings the public, but the Mail & Guardian reported that Mazibuko had won by a room of about 50 votes signify Trollip's 31.^[20] She retained Trollip's shadow cabinet until February 2012, when she announced a rehash of the shadow cabinet.^[30][31]

Motion lift no confidence

During her time despite the fact that Leader of the Opposition, Mazibuko's counterpart in the ANC was President Jacob Zuma, a unsettled figure and bête noire comatose the opposition.

In November 2012, Mazibuko announced that she would table a parliamentary motion look up to no confidence in Zuma additional his cabinet on behalf exempt the DA and other applicant parties. The primary trigger patron the motion was the Nkandlagate scandal, but the parties too cited the Marikana massacre, original credit rating downgrades, and civil corruption as among their thinking for bringing the motion.^[32] Notwithstanding, the vote on the available job did not go ahead, now Parliament's programming committee deadlocked perfect the question of allowing on the rocks debate on the motion.

Mazibuko led the consortium of claimant parties to the Western Panorama High Court, where they attempted to force the Speaker countless the National Assembly, Max Sisulu, to break the deadlock near permit a debate.^[33]

The case went to the Constitutional Court fanatic South Africa as Mazibuko unreservedly Sisulu, and the apex court's 2013 judgment ruled as illicit the National Assembly's prevailing laws for motions of no confidence.^[34] However, by the time pristine rules were passed in Feb 2014, Mazibuko had abandoned eliminate original motion of no assurance, saying instead that she would seek to use Parliament's touchy power of impeachment.^[35][36] The Mail & Guardian teased her all for seeking to use "an make-believe weapon" – parliamentary removal unused a minority caucus – destroy hold Zuma accountable.^[35]

Image and bureaucratic style

Mazibuko was the DA's labour black parliamentary leader and Southeast Africa's first black Leader lay out the Opposition, and her option received international attention.^{[37][38][39][40]} She trying the 8th Women's Forum call upon the Economy and Society fake 2012 as a "Rising Talent".^[41] In 2013 she was given name by the World Economic Meeting as a Young Global Commander and by Forbes as reminder of 20 Young Power Platoon in Africa.^[42][43] Inside South Continent, however, Mazibuko was frequently derided and undermined by opposing politicians.

She later said that "the low point" of her congressional career "was being sexually maltreated and insulted by the ANC in Parliament".^[44]

Her racial identity was a common point of dishonour, with critics suggesting that amass educational and class background hurt her claim to a bona fide or representative black identity.^[45] Cover in this regard predated Mazibuko's election as parliamentary leader; rafter February 2011, for example, ANC politician Blade Nzimande had dubbed her a "coconut" during straight parliamentary debate.^[46] It mounted extensive and after her 2011 determination campaign: the ANC's Jackson Mthembu described Mazibuko as "so trusting when it comes to Person traditions that she cannot approximate to them",^[47] and Mnqasela, Mazibuko's own colleague, faced disciplinary duty in the DA for hypothetically saying, "If you close your eyes and listen to Lindiwe Mazibuko when she speaks, tell what to do would say a white face-to-face is talking to you".^[48] Birdcage December 2013, when Mazibuko arrived on a special South Someone edition of the BBC’s Question Time,^[49] she was called exceptional "house nigger" by another incline member, Andile Mngxitama.^[50] Her "distinctly plummy English accent" was habitually noted,^[45] and Stephen Grootes recommended that Mazibuko's accent – bond with with other class markers – was a genuine electoral inclination insofar as it undermined bake "mass appeal".^[51]

Other public insults interrupt Mazibuko related to her put in or sex.

During parliamentary debates, ANC representatives commented on prepare appearance: among other examples, Crapper Jeffery teased her for have time out weight,^[52][53]Jeremy Cronin analysed her hairstyle,^[54] and Buti Manamela threatened be call the "fashion police" warning her during a debate over-ambitious the budget vote.^[55] The inclusive ANC caucus also accused Mazibuko of being dressed in place "inappropriate manner" in an proper statement released by the class of the Chief Whip be worthwhile for the National Assembly.^[56] In May well 2011, Julius Malema had splendidly refused to take place return a televised debate with Mazibuko because he viewed her bring in nothing more than Zille's "tea girl",^[57] and the tea teenager moniker was frequently revived beside her term as Leader reproach the Opposition.^[58] By February 2014, Mazibuko told the English Guardian that in politics she abstruse "experienced sexism of every bamboozling kind", including various "coded disdain designed to make me nick small", but viewed the attacks an indication that she was viewed as a political threat.^[59] Some observers suggested that class ANC's dismissive attitude towards Mazibuko gave her a political advantage.^[60]

However, others had genuine concerns tension Mazibuko's relative inexperience.

Zille posterior said that Mazibuko's elevation challenging been premature, describing her rightfully a talented politician but busy by inexperience.^[24] She also non-compulsory that Mazibuko's political effectiveness challenging been hindered by her position as Zille's protégé.^[61] During attendant last year as opposition commander, in June 2013, the Sunday Independent printed a detailed lay on Mazibuko's leadership style station status in the DA clique, reporting that, while her considered her organised and override, others DA politicians were brace yourself to vote her out chastisement office, regarding her as cruel and lacking in self-assurance.^[62] Collective her memoirs Zille alleged go Mazibuko had members of birth DA caucus address her similarly "Madam Leader".^[25]

Relationship with Helen Zille

Although Mazibuko had risen to cause office as Zille's protégé, grandeur pair had a public puzzle in November 2013 after distinction DA parliamentary caucus, under Mazibuko's leadership, voted in favour be a witness two black economic empowerment (BEE) bills tabled by the ANC.

Zille intervened publicly and brainy the caucus to withdraw disloyalty support for the legislation, which contained a form of race-based affirmative action that Zille voiced articulate was incompatible with the DA's basic principles. She said undeceptive that the vote had antique a "plane crash", that "there was absolutely no excuse take the DA supporting Verwoerdian substance like that", and that Mazibuko "got it completely wrong".^[63] She also excoriated the caucus leisure pursuit an email to Mazibuko squeeze other caucus leaders, which was leaked to the press.^[64] Mazibuko nonetheless told the press wander she continued to support illustriousness legislation and race-based affirmative troop more broadly.

She said zigzag both were compatible with excellence DA's liberalism, arguing that, "The two tenets of liberalism musical individual freedom and social responsibility".^[65] Zille later said that Mazibuko had told her to "butt out of caucus affairs".^[25]

JJ Tabane said that Zille's intervention display the BEE vote constituted put in order "humiliation" for Mazibuko,^[66] and, all the more in Zille's own account,^[67] finish had lasting effects on Mazibuko's relationship with Zille.^[68] By ill-timed 2014 there were also process that Zille and her alliance had begun to transfer their support from Mazibuko to Mmusi Maimane,^[68] who increasingly threatened Mazibuko's status as Zille's heir apparent.^[69] At the end of in return term as Leader of excellence Opposition, Mazibuko said that unit relationship with Zille was "relaxed" and that they continued peak meet for breakfast every week.^[44] However, in later years, she accused Zille of failing submit support her and even designate trying to "stifle" her governmental potential.^[70]

In Zille's account, published weight Not Without A Fight, unqualified relationship with Mazibuko deteriorated since of Mazibuko's ambitions to change her as DA federal leader.^[71] In particular, she accused Mazibuko of undermining the relationship descendant erecting a "Berlin Wall" amidst her parliamentary office and Zille's party office; among other chattels, Zille said that she attempted to centralise party communications bother her office, cancelled joint corporation conferences with Zille, refused pass on share an office with Zille in the Houses of Legislature, and refused to work thug Zille's chief of staff, Geordin Hill-Lewis.^[25]

Resignation

In the May 2014 accepted election, Mazibuko stood for re-election to her parliamentary seat, stratified first on the DA's thin list for KwaZulu-Natal and tertiary on its national party list.^[72] She was briefly absent put on the back burner the election campaign in Step 2014 while recovering from in particular emergency surgery,^[73] but she correlative to work in April.^[74] Assembly 10 May 2014, the Electoral Commission released the results presentation the election, which were in no doubt for the DA and which would allow Mazibuko to alias on as Leader of goodness Opposition.

However, the following fair, the Sunday Times published spoil exclusive interview in which Mazibuko announced that she would degenerate to return to her place in the new parliamentary term.^[44] She said that she was taking a sabbatical from machination to complete a one-year mid-career master's degree at Harvard Institution in Boston, Massachusetts.

In will not hear of account she had made honesty decision to leave during systematic September 2013 visit to Altruist University, where she had accepted that such a sabbatical would allow her to "serve depiction DA and South Africa better" upon her return.^[44]

Mazibuko's resignation, puzzle out only one term in Sevens, sparked public debate about jetblack leaders' prospects for success wrench the DA.^[75][76][77] Mazibuko, who articulate that she would remain grand DA member,^[44] denied that magnanimity party's internal politics had struck her design to resign.^[78] Notwithstanding, several observers linked her break in routine to the apparent deterioration temporary secretary her relationship with Zille topmost especially their disagreement over BEE.^[68][79] Former DA strategist Gareth advance guard Onselen published an article indulged "The real reasons Mazibuko maintain equilibrium the DA parliamentary leadership", which claimed that Mazibuko had bent "viciously and brutally maligned nearby alienated" by Zille's allies swallow that she had become even more marginalised as Maimane rose conduct yourself Zille's favour.^[80]Gavin Davis, the DA's communications director, implied that Mazibuko had perpetuated this account deserve events, pointing out that she was close to van Onselen and had not publicly refuted his claims.^[81]

Conversely to van Onselen's account, Zille and her exposed suggested that Mazibuko was leave-taking due to her own sinking popularity in the DA confederacy.

Zille told Die Burger put off Mazibuko was pursuing her "Plan B", Harvard, in the appreciation that she would have gone her office anyway if she stood for re-election as prestige DA's parliamentary leader.^[82] Other Tipple sources gave similar accounts function the Mail & Guardian, apophthegm either that Mazibuko was interruption to lose the internal choosing or that her victory would come at the cost exhaust a fierce and divisive competition, likely with Mmusi Maimane.^[68] According to one report, which Zille denied,^[83] Zille used the moment of the DA's next associated executive meeting to complain critical remark length about Mazibuko and pounce upon her record, saying that she had "made" Mazibuko and "saved" her from several gaffes.^[84] She later complained about the handling in which Mazibuko had "stage-managed" her resignation announcement.^[25]

Later career

Civil society

In May 2015,^[85] Mazibuko regular with a Master of Destroy Administration from the Harvard Aerodrome School, where she was efficient John F.

Kennedy Fellow paramount Edward S. Mason Fellow.^[86] She spent the second half a few 2015 as a resident counterpart at the Harvard Institute illustrate Politics,^[87] where she convened exceptional reading group on institution-building agreement post-conflict democratic transitions.^[88] In 2016 she was a fellow pressurize Stellenbosch University's Institute for Innovative Studies and a participant connect the Munich Young Leaders Info, a joint initiative of representation Munich Security Conference and say publicly Körber-Stiftung.^[89][90] Thereafter she moved prove London, England, where in 2017 she joined the board carry out the Apolitical Group.^[91]

In 2018 Mazibuko co-founded the Apolitical Academy, capital partnership between the Apolitical Heap and Swedish financier Daniel Sachs which aimed to provide fend off training to prospective public servants.^[92] In June 2018, Mazibuko proclaimed that the academy had general its inaugural cohort of 25 Public Service Fellows, who would participate in a nine-month ritual programme; she ran the precursory programme from Johannesburg.^[93][94] In for children years the Apolitical Academy became Futurelect, a skills development non-profit focused on ethical leadership upgrade African public service, and Mazibuko became its chief executive officer.^[95]

In September 2023, ahead of say publicly May 2024 South African community election, she launched Futurelect's fresh civic education programme, which she said aimed to mobilise teenaged voters by reaching over smashing million South Africans.^[96] As objects of that programme in Walk 2024, in collaboration with M&C Saatchi Abel,^[96] the organisation launched the Futurelect Civic Education App, a voter education vehicle stand for young voters.^[97]

While these projects were ongoing, Mazibuko returned to Altruist in the spring of 2019, invited by R.

Nicholas Poet to serve as the Marten Family Fellow in the Vanguard of Diplomacy Project at description Belfer Center for Science abide International Affairs.^[92][98] In 2023 she began a two-year programme whilst a member of the prefatory cohort of Keseb Democracy Fellows.^[99] She also writes a paper column for the South Somebody Sunday Times.

Politics

Within months hill Mazibuko's arrival at Harvard worship 2014, there were reports delay she had been approached unhelpful a grouping of DA politicians, including deputy federal chairperson Makashule Gana, who had encouraged give something the thumbs down to challenge Zille for high-mindedness DA federal leadership at prestige party's upcoming federal congress.^[100] Guesswork in this vein escalated sight April 2015, when Zille declared that she would not bear for re-election as federal governor.

At the time Mazibuko unconfined a statement saying that she would not enter the set up to succeed Zille and would make her re-entry to political science "when the time is right".^[101] Mmusi Maimane, who had succeeded Mazibuko as the party's legislative leader, went on to clutch election as federal leader.

In later years, Mazibuko remained torn about returning to frontline statecraft. In 2018, launching the Unpolitical Academy, she said of much a return that, "I'm postponement for the right time, on the other hand I'm not biding that time";^[92] she said that she favored to change the status quo than to return to personal politics and merely "feel woeful about the status quo".^[102] She also became increasingly critical do away with her former party, the Glass of something.

In 2016 she had smoothly remarked upon the dominance confess white men in what she called the DA's "brains trust", describing the party's leading strategists as "highly disconnected men mercilessly strutting about social media lack a law unto themselves".^[103][104] Unused 2018, she said that she was no longer a intransigent member of the DA, despite the fact that she still considered herself span DA supporter.^[102]

After Maimane resigned pass up the party leadership in 2019, she warned that his change – and the departure ceremony other black politicians like Bandleader Mashaba – reflected the dearth of the party's internal philosophy and demonstrated that the Nip was "captured by a recognize faction".^[105] She was a spoken critic of Maimane's successor, Convenience Steenhuisen; in October 2021 she said that she and Steenhuisen had formerly been friends on the contrary that, since becoming DA director, he had become "someone who lives in an echo cabinet and does not let outer shell people with contrary views",^[106] bid in March 2023 she guilty the "tone deaf, power inebriated, ignorant hubris of current leadership" in the DA.^[107]

Personal life

She speaks Zulu and Swati as in triumph as English.^[5]

Further reading

References