Chantel King Explained

Chantel King
Honorific-Suffix:MPL
Office:Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature
Term Start:14 June 2024
Office1:Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Term Start1:8 November 2016
Term End1:28 May 2024
Constituency1:Eastern Cape
Office2:Deputy Leader of the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape
Leader2:Nqaba Bhanga
Alongside2:Bobby Stevenson
Term Start2:29 August 2020
Term End2:25 February 2023
Office3:Councillor in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
Term Start3:July 2015
Term End3:October 2016
Birth Date:2 December 1976
Nationality:South African
Party:Democratic Alliance
Education:B.Com (UWC) &NPDE (NWU)

Chantel King (born 2 December 1976) is a South African politician and educator. A member of the Democratic Alliance, she was sworn in as a Buffalo City councillor in July 2015. King became a Member of Parliament in November 2016. She then became Shadow Deputy Minister of Science and Technology in January 2017. In December 2020 King was appointed as Shadow Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology. King became a member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature in 2024.

Career

King was a teacher at the John Bisseker High School before she became active in politics.[1] She joined the Democratic Alliance in 2015.[2] King served as the branch secretary for ward 19 and as the women's network representative in the party's Buffalo City coastal constituency. In July 2015, she was appointed as a councillor of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. King resigned from the council in October 2016.

On 8 November 2016, King was sworn in as a Member of the National Assembly, replacing Annette Lovemore.[3] She became a member of the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology on 8 December 2016.[4] On 1 January 2017, King became Shadow Deputy Minister of Science and Technology following her appointment in November 2016.[5]

She ran for provincial chairperson of the DA's women network in March 2018, but lost to Georgina Faldtman, a DA councillor in Nelson Mandela Bay.[6] On 12 September 2018, she was appointed to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education as an alternate member. King relinquished her membership on the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology that following month.

She was re-elected to Parliament in the 2019 general election.[7] King was elected as one of two deputy DA provincial leaders in August 2020. She serves alongside party veteran Bobby Stevenson.[8] On 5 December 2020, she was appointed as Shadow Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology.[9]

In January 2023, HeraldLIVE reported that King was vying for the position of provincial leader of the DA after incumbent Nqaba Bhanga announced his intention to stand down. Around 300 delegates met in the town of Graaff-Reinet from 24–25 February 2023 to elect the new DA provincial leadership. King's main challenger for the position was fellow Member of Parliament and the DA's provincial chairperson Andrew Whitfield.[10] She lost to Whitfield at the provincial conference. She accepted the outcome and said that she would support Whitfield.[11]

King became a member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature following the 2024 national and provincial elections.[12]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Ford . Simthandile . 4 candidates vie for DA job . 17 November 2020 . DispatchLIVE . 7 March 2018.
  2. Web site: Ms Chantel King (DA) . People's Assembly . 17 November 2020 . 12 June 2018.
  3. Web site: National Assembly members . Parliamentary Monitoring Group . 17 November 2020.
  4. Web site: Experience: Chantel King . People's Assembly . 17 November 2020.
  5. Web site: 24 November 2016. DA: Mmusi Maimane says DA announces changes to Shadow Cabinet and Parliamentary Caucus Leadership. 11 December 2020. Polity.
  6. News: New East Cape DAWN and DAY Leaders Elected . 17 November 2020 . My Port Elizabeth . 17 March 2018.
  7. News: SEE: These are the people who will represent you in Parliament, provincial legislatures . 17 November 2020 . News24 . 15 May 2019.
  8. News: Maliti . Soyiso . BREAKING l Chantel King elected as Eastern Cape DA's deputy leader . 17 November 2020 . DispatchLIVE . 29 August 2020.
  9. News: Mazzone. Natasha. 5 December 2020. DA announces new Shadow Cabinet that will bring Real Hope and Real Change. Democratic Alliance. 5 December 2020.
  10. Web site: Whitfield, King vie for top job in Eastern Cape DA . registration . 2023-01-17 . HeraldLIVE . en-ZA.
  11. Web site: Felix . Jason . Andrew Whitfield elected new Eastern Cape DA leader . 2023-02-25 . News24 . en-US.
  12. Web site: 2024-06-15 . DA MPLs ready to fight for the people of the Eastern Cape . 2024-07-10 . DA Bhisho - The Democratic Alliance at the Bhisho Legislature . en-GB.