Hennie Smit Explained

Party:	New National Party National Party
Office1:	Member of the National Assembly
Termstart1:	May 1994
Termend1:	December 2001
Citizenship:	South Africa
Birth Date:	19 April 1949
Birth Name:	Hendrik Albertyn Smit
Constituency1:	Western Cape

Hendrik Albertyn Smit (born 19 April 1949) is a South African politician. He represented the New National Party (NNP) in the National Assembly from 1994 to 2001, serving the Western Cape constituency. Before that, he represented the National Party (NP) in the apartheid-era House of Assembly.

Early life and career

Born on 19 April 1949,^[1] Smit formerly represented the NP in the all-white House of Assembly. He succeeded former president P. W. Botha as the representative for the constituency of George in the Western Cape.^[2]

Post-apartheid legislative career

National Assembly

In South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994, Smit was elected to represent the NP in the new multi-racial National Assembly.^[3] He served as the party's chief whip during the legislative term that followed.^{[4] [5]} In addition, he was chairperson of the NP's regional branch in the Southern Cape.^[6]

Smit was re-elected to the National Assembly in the 1999 general election, representing the Western Cape constituency. The following year, the NP (newly restyled as the NNP) joined the multi-party Democratic Alliance (DA) with the Democratic Party. Smit became chairperson of the DA's Southern Cape regional branch^{[7] [8]} and was appointed to the shadow cabinet of DA leader Tony Leon, becoming the alliance's spokesman on defence.^[9] He was removed from the latter position after six months, in a March 2001 reshuffle by Leon.^[10]

Provincial legislature

The NNP's participation in the DA was short-lived. At the end of 2001, when the NNP abandoned the alliance to enter into cooperation with the African National Congress (ANC), Smit resigned from the National Assembly in order to join the Western Cape Provincial Legislature, where he, with the ANC's Garth Strachan, was co-chief whip of the NNP/ANC caucus.^{[11] [12]} He left the legislature after the 2004 general election, although he continued to serve as financial chairperson of the NNP's provincial branch.^[13] The DA claimed that, in a nepotistic arrangement, DA representatives were arranging for Smit to take up a job in the City of Cape Town Municipality.^[14]

Notes and References

1. 11 June 1999 . General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures . . Pretoria, South Africa . . 408 . 20203 . 26 March 2021.
2. News: 9 November 2006 . Scores of mourners bid final farewell to PW . IOL . 20 May 2023.
3. Web site: 24 May 1994 . Minutes of proceedings of the Constitutional Assembly . 2 April 2023 . Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.
4. Web site: 1994-07-29 . Government’s Fragile Unity Stretched . 2023-05-20 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
5. Web site: 1995-07-07 . Work crunch for MPs . 2023-05-20 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
6. Web site: 1998-06-12 . NP in 'cash for votes' row . 2023-05-20 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
7. Web site: 31 July 2001 . 'Kaffir-lover' attack slammed . 2023-05-20 . News24 . en-US.
8. Web site: 14 December 2000 . DA wins control of key councils . 2023-05-20 . News24 . en-US.
9. Web site: 23 August 2000 . DA appoints joint parly spokespersons . 2023-05-20 . News24 . en-US.
10. Web site: 8 March 2001 . Leon reshuffles 'shadow cabinet' . 2023-05-09 . News24 . en-US.
11. Web site: 22 December 2001 . NNP, ANC split chairs . 2023-05-20 . News24 . en-US.
12. Web site: 14 December 2001 . Morkel Cape Town's new mayor . 2023-05-20 . News24 . en-US.
13. Web site: 2004-04-23 . Down and out in the New National Party . 2023-05-20 . The Mail & Guardian . en-ZA.
14. Web site: 16 May 2004 . DA accuses NNP of nepotism . 2023-05-20 . News24 . en-US.