Brett Herron (politician)

Brett Norton Herron is a South African attorney and politician. He has served as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament since May 2019. He was previously the City of Cape Town's mayoral committee member for transport and urban settlements from 2011 to 2018. Formerly a member of both the Democratic Alliance and the Independent Democrats, Herron is the interim secretary-general of Good.

Brett Herron
Interim Secretary-General of Good
Assumed office
20 January 2019
Preceded byPosition established
Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament
Assumed office
22 May 2019
Personal details
Born
Brett Norton Herron

Durban, South Africa
Political partyGood
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Alliance
Independent Democrats
OccupationMember of the Provincial Parliament
ProfessionPolitician

Early life and education

Herron was born and grew up in Durban in the former Natal. His father was a member of the Durban City Council.[1] He obtained a BA degree and an LLB degree from the University of Natal. He did his articles of clerkship in Durban before being admitted as an attorney in 1994. Herron moved to New York City in 1998 and lived there until 2001. After returning to South Africa, he became director of the South African Law School.[2]

Political career

Herron was a senior member of the Independent Democrats. In July 2008, he was elected policy convenor of the party's Cape Town metro district executive committee.[2] He was placed on the party's candidate lists for the 2009 general election and was elected to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. However, the party gave his seat to Sarah Paulse, the sister of party leader Patricia de Lille.[3] Herron was then sworn in as a Cape Town city councillor for the ID. The ID announced its merger with the Democratic Alliance in October 2010 and Herron was given dual party membership.

After the 2011 municipal election, he was sworn in as a councillor for the DA. De Lille was elected mayor of Cape Town, and she appointed Herron as the mayoral committee member for transport and urban settlements.[4]

In August 2018, De Lille announced that she would resign as mayor at the end of October. Herron declared his candidacy for the post, but the DA selected Dan Plato.[5] On 1 November 2018, he resigned from council and from the DA. He was the ninth councillor to resign from the DA following De Lille's last address as mayor on 25 October.[6]

De Lille announced the formation of her new political party, Good, on 2 December. Herron was appointed as the party's inaugural secretary-general on 20 January 2019.[7]

Prior to the general election on 8 May 2019, he was second on the new party's provincial candidate list, second on the regional candidate list and fourth on the national candidate list. The party won one seat in the provincial parliament and Herron filled that seat on 22 May 2019.[8]

Personal life

Herron is openly gay.[9]

References
  1. Dordley, Lucinda (4 September 2018). "Brett Herron throws hat in the ring to be mayor". www.capetownetc.com. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  2. De Lille, Patricia (1 March 2009). "The ID's top ten candidates". Politicsweb. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  3. Williams, Murray (14 May 2009). "ID justifies exclusion of top Cape candidate". IOL. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  4. "De Lille names mayoral committee". News24. Cape Town. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  5. Chambers, Dave (4 September 2020). "De Lille ally Herron sets sights on Cape Town mayoral office". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  6. Payne, Suné (1 November 2018). "Brett Herron becomes the ninth councillor to quit the DA as mayor-elect Dan Plato is sworn in as councillor". The Daily Maverick. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  7. "De Lille's GOOD party constitutes interim national leadership". IOL. Cape Town. 20 January 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  8. Lepule, Tshego (12 May 2019). "New mix in Western Cape legislature". IOL. Cape Town. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  9. Herron, Brett (24 February 2020). "Cape Town Pride: Brett Herron talks about being openly gay and LGBTQ+ rights". IOL News. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
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