Julie Kilian Explained

Julie Kilian
Office1:Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Term Start1:6 May 2009
Term End1:7 May 2019
Constituency1:Gauteng
Nationality:South African
Party:African National Congress (2014–present)
Otherparty:Congress of the People (2008–14)
New National Party
Spouse:Johan Kilian (deceased)
Profession:Politician

Juliana Danielle "Julie" Kilian is a South African politician. She served as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa for two political parties from 2009 until 2019. She represented the Congress of the People from 2009 to 2014 and the African National Congress between 2014 and 2019. Kilian was a senior member of the New National Party.

Life and career

Kilian was born in South Africa. She married Johan Kilian.[1]

In 1974, Kilian became a Liaison Officer for the Department of Information. She and her husband were both senior members of the New National Party. He was the provincial leader of the party in Gauteng while she represented the NNP in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and served as the chairperson of the legislature's education committee.

In 2008, Kilian and her husband joined the Congress of the People. She was elected to the National Assembly as one of the party's first representatives.[2] She was a member of the portfolio committee on communications.[3]

Prior to the 2014 South African general election, Kilian resigned from COPE and joined the African National Congress. She was one of many parliamentarians who left COPE due to infighting. Her named placed on the ANC's election list and she returned to Parliament following the election.[4] Her husband died in 2015.

In 2018, Kilian criticised AfriForum. She said that the lobby group does not "speak on behalf of myself and other progressive Afrikaans speakers".[5]

Kilian left Parliament before the 2019 general election, as she was not listed as a candidate.

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Evans . Jenni . Former NNP Gauteng leader dies . 20 July 2020 . News24 . 5 October 2015.
  2. News: COPE keenly watching results . 20 July 2020 . IOL . 23 April 2009.
  3. Web site: Cope: statement by Julie Kilian, Congress of the People spokesperson, on the new SABC Bill (03/11/2009) . Polity . 20 July 2020.
  4. News: Why former Cope MP Kilian leapt to the ANC . 20 July 2020 . Mail & Guardian . 12 March 2014.
  5. News: Gerber . Jan . 'Radical right' AfriForum doesn't speak for progressive Afrikaans speakers – ANC MP Juli Kilian . 20 July 2020 . News24 . 17 May 2018.