Tony Marais Explained

Party:Economic Freedom Fighters (since 2013)
Citizenship:South Africa
Birth Date:28 August 1952
Birth Name:Anthony Marais
Spouse:Paulnita Marais
Children:6
Otherparty:African National Congress
Office:Member of the Free State Provincial Legislature
Termstart:2002
Termend:2006
Office1:Delegate to the National Council of Provinces
Termstart1:1994
Termend1:2002
Constituency Am1:Free State

Anthony Marais (28 August 1952 – 27 January 2019) was a South African politician from the Free State. He represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State Provincial Legislature from 2002 to 2006. Before that, he was a Delegate to the National Council of Provinces from 1994 to 2002. After leaving government, he joined the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in 2013.

Early life and activism

Marais was born on 28 August 1952.[1] According to his wife, he joined the ANC as a teenager and was recruited into Umkhonto we Sizwe.[2] He later chaired the Free State branch of the South African National Civic Organisation.

Political career

In South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994, Marais was elected to represent the ANC in the Orange Free State caucus (later the Free State caucus) of the Senate (later the National Council of Provinces).[3] He was elected to a second term in the 1999 general election.[4]

In 2002, Marais resigned from the national Parliament in order to fill an ANC seat in the Free State Provincial Legislature. He was elected to a full term in the provincial legislature in 2004, but he resigned midway through the term in 2006.

After leaving legislative politics, in 2007, Marais opened an ill-fated printing business with his wife; the company later closed. He joined the EFF in 2013.

Personal life

Marais was retired at the time of his death and lived in Heidedal with his wife, politician Paulnita Marais, with whom he had six children.[5] He died on 27 January 2019.

Notes and References

  1. 20 April 2004 . General Notice: Notice 717 of 2004 - Electoral Commission – List of Names of Representatives in the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures in Respect of the Elections Held on 14 April 2004 . . Pretoria, South Africa . . 466 . 2677 . 4–95 . 26 March 2021.
  2. Web site: 2019-01-31 . Struggle stalwart Marais passes on . 2022-01-31 . Bloemfontein Courant . en-US.
  3. Book: South Africa: Campaign and Election Report April 26–29, 1994 . . 1994 . 13 April 2023 . Yumpu.
  4. Web site: 23 September 1999 . Members of the National Council of Provinces . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19991012020635/http://parliament.gov.za/ncop/index.htm . 1999-10-12 . 2023-05-17 . Parliament of South Africa.
  5. Web site: 28 January 2019 . Condolences pour in for EFF member in FS . 2023-06-09 . OFM.