Solly Msimanga

Solly Tshepiso Msimanga (born 16 July 1980) is a South African politician serving as the Leader of the Opposition in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature since May 2019. He has been a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature since February 2019, having previously served from 2014 to 2016. Msimanga was the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality from 2016 to 2019 and the DA Provincial Chairperson from 2014 to 2017. He was the Democratic Alliance's Gauteng Premier candidate for the 2019 elections.[1][2][3]

Solly Msimanga MPL
Msimanga in 2017
Leader of the Opposition in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 May 2019
Premier	David Makhura
Preceded by	John Moodey
Mayor of Tshwane
In office 19 August 2016 – 11 February 2019
Preceded by	Kgosientso Ramokgopa
Succeeded by	Stevens Mokgalapa
Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 February 2019
In office 21 May 2014 – 19 August 2016
Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance in Gauteng
In office 22 November 2014 – 18 November 2017
Preceded by	Michael Moriarty
Succeeded by	Michael Moriarty
Personal details
Born	Solly Tshepiso Msimanga 16 July 1980 Atteridgeville, Pretoria, South Africa
Political party	Democratic Alliance (2006–present)
Spouse(s)	Monde Msimanga (m. 2006)
Children	Amogelong Msimanga Aobokwe Msimanga
Alma mater	University of Pretoria (BCompt)

Early life, education and family

Solly Tshepiso Msimanga was born in Atteridgeville, a township west of Pretoria. He attended Isaac Moré Primary School, Patogeng Higher Primary and Saulridge High School. He obtained a national diploma in marketing management and a BCompt from the University of Pretoria.[4]

Career

Msimanga worked with Project Literacy and was enlisted at the Liberian embassy at one stage. Later on, he was employed by the United States embassy. He had been a national director for Legal Education And Development. He also held multiple senior management positions in the private sector.[5][6]

Entry into politics

Msimanga delivers a speech, while Mmusi Maimane watches in the background

Msimanga first joined the DA in 2006. After having attended a DA event, he wrote to the party criticising its campaign approach and was soon offered a staff position by the party's CEO Ryan Coetzee.[7][8]

He eventually began rising through the ranks of the party. In May 2011, he was elected to the Tshwane City Council, and in the same year, he became the leader of the DA's Gauteng North region.[9][10]

In May 2014, Msimanga was elected as a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. He was appointed the party's provincial spokesperson for sports and served on the Education and Economic Development Portfolio Committees in the legislature.

DA leadership elections

In November 2014, he succeeded Michael Moriarty as DA Provincial Chairperson, after Moriarty had stood down.[11]

In November 2017, Moriarty succeeded Msimanga as DA Provincial Chairperson at the party's Provincial Congress, after Msimanga took the decision to not run for re-election.[12][13][14]

In March 2018, Msimanga declared himself a candidate for the position of Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance ahead of the party's Federal Congress. On 8 April 2018, he lost to incumbent Athol Trollip.[15][16]

Mayoral career

Msimanga met with former U.S. Mayor Anthony A. Williams on 13 February 2019. Msimanga handed Williams a gift to celebrate their meeting which focused on urban renewal

In September 2015, Msimanga was announced as the DA's mayoral candidate for the City of Tshwane in the 2016 municipal elections. He defeated Brandon Topham and Bronwyn Engelbrecht for the nomination.[17] The DA emerged as the largest party after the election, but without a majority. By forming a coalition with several smaller parties, and with the support of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Msimanga was elected unopposed as the Executive Mayor of Tshwane. He was the first DA member to hold the post.[18][19]

When he was elected Mayor, he stated his intention to outlaw blue-lights brigades in the City — for everyone except the President. “The only VIPs in the City will be the residents of the City,” he said.[20]

In May 2018, it was revealed that Msimanga's chief of staff Marietha Aucamp had been dishonest about her qualifications.[21] She was placed on special leave on 16 May 2018.[22] She subsequently resigned on 17 May 2018.[23] In June 2018, an inquiry found that she had misrepresented her qualifications. It also found that her appointment was unlawful.[24][25]

In August 2018, both the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and African National Congress (ANC) had tabled motions of no confidence to remove Msimanga as Mayor.[26][27] On 30 August 2018, Tshwane Council Speaker Katlego Mathebe declined to proceed with the EFF's motion of no confidence because it did not comply with the council's rules. The EFF subsequently staged a walkout out of the council chamber.[28] The party's caucus leader said that it would not support the ANC's motion. Due to the lack of support, the ANC withdrew its motion.[29]

On 27 September 2018, he survived another motion of no confidence tabled by the ANC. The EFF abstained from voting. Ninety-five councillors voted against the motion, while seventy-seven voted for it. Twenty-one councillors abstained.[30]

Msimanga's last months as Mayor were overshadowed by the irregular awarding of a multi-billion-rand tender contract to GladAfrica by embattled City Manager Moeketsi Mosola.[31][32] Msimanga tried to suspend Mosola,[33] and the DA caucus of the Tshwane City Council attempted multiple times to remove Mosola from the position.[34][35][36] Mosola announced in July 2019 that he would step down as the City Manager of Tshwane.[37]

On 18 January 2019, Msimanga announced that he was stepping down as Mayor of Tshwane to focus on his Gauteng premiership campaign. He also said that his resignation would be finalised in the first two weeks of February.[38] He later announced on 31 January 2019 that he would effectively resign on 11 February 2019.[39] Msimanga was succeeded by Stevens Mokgalapa.[40] Msimanga was subsequently sworn in as a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.[41]

Gauteng premiership campaign

On 19 August 2018, Msimanga was announced as the party's Gauteng Premier candidate for the 2019 general elections.[42] He defeated many prominent candidates for the nomination, such as Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature Makashule Gana, Member of Parliament Ghaleb Cachalia, and Party Spokesperson Refiloe Nt’sheke.[43]

On 8 May 2019, the African National Congress narrowly retained their majority in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature with a total of 50.19% of the vote. The Democratic Alliance remained the official opposition, but lost three seats, giving them a total of twenty seats in the provincial legislature.[44] Msimanga was elected DA caucus leader on 17 May 2019 and officially assumed the post of Leader of the Opposition on 22 May 2019.[45]

Provincial leadership

Msimanga was selected as the party's acting provincial leader on 2 September 2020, after incumbent John Moodey had resigned from the party.[46] He ran for a full term at the party's provincial congress in November and defeated party veteran James Lorimer by a landslide of 75% against Lorimer's 25%.[47][48]

Personal life

He married Monde Msimanga in 2006. They have two children named Amogelong and Aobokwe. Solly and his wife work together on the charity organisation named “Make Somebody’s Christmas a Merry One”. The project donates groceries to disadvantaged families.[4]

Sexual harassment allegation

In October 2020, DA MPL Nkele Molapo filed a sexual harassment case against Msimanga.[49] Msimanga denies the allegation and says that he is willing to take a lie detector test to prove his innocence. He has also responded by opening a crimen injuria case against Molapo.[50]

References

1. "Maimane announces Msimanga as Gauteng Premier candidate". SABC News. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
2. "Solly Tshepiso Msimanga". Democratic Alliance. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
3. Poplak, Richard (19 July 2016). "How the DA's Solly Msimanga hopes to turn Battleground Tshwane into a better version of Sweden". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
4. "Who is Solly Msimanga? Five facts about the DA's Tshwane mayor". The South African. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
5. "Things you did not know about Solly Msimanga". TheCitizen. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
6. "Here are Tshwane's mayoral hopefuls". IOL. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
7. "DA's Solly Msimanga eager to clean up tainted Tshwane". BDlive. 15 August 2016.
8. ""I lived in a shack" says optimistic newly-elected Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga". M&G. 26 August 2016.
9. "Who is Solly Msimanga?". eNCA. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
10. "New DA leaders named in Gauteng". The Star. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
11. "Moodey re-elected to lead DA Gauteng". eNCA. 22 November 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
12. "DA re-elects Moodey as Gauteng leader". SABC News. 18 November 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
13. "John Moodey re-elected DA Gauteng leader". IOL. 19 November 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
14. "DA Gauteng leader post to be contested at provincial conference". TimesLIVE. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
15. "Solly Msimanga to challenge Athol Trollip for DA federal chairperson position". Politicsweb. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
16. "Athol Trollip re-elected as DA federal chairperson". News24. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
17. "DA chooses Tshwane's Solly Msimanga as 2016 mayoral candidate". Eyewitness News. 5 September 2015.
18. "Msimanga elected Tshwane mayor". News24. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
19. Moatshe, Rapula (19 August 2016). "Msimanga elected Tshwane mayor". IOL. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
20. "No more blue lights for VIPs in Tshwane: DA". BusinessTech. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
21. Dlamini, Penwell (16 May 2018). "Tshwane places chief of staff on special leave amid qualification allegations". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
22. "Tshwane places chief of staff on special leave amid qualifications scandal". IOL. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
23. "Msimanga's chief of staff Marietha Aucamp resigns". EWN. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
24. Khoza, Amanda (28 June 2018). "Aucamp's appointment as chief of staff was irregular - City of Tshwane". News24. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
25. "WATCH: Report reveals Marietha Aucamp misrepresented her qualifications". IOL. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
26. "EFF tables motion of no confidence in Tshwane Mayor Solly Msimanga". News24. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
27. "ANC want motion of no confidence secret ballot against Solly Msimanga". IOL. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
28. "EFF goes to court after no-confidence motion in Solly Msimanga is rejected". TimesLive. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
29. "ANC withdraws motion of no confidence in Msimanga". EWN. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
30. "Tshwane Mayor Solly Msimanga survives motion of no confidence". IOL. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
31. "GladAfrica: Solly Msimanga in tight spot". IOL. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
32. "EXCLUSIVE: GladAfrica scandal - Mosola quietly concedes tender was irregular, says official". News24. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
33. "Tshwane's city manager given notice to suspend over GladAfrica tender". BusinessLIVE. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
34. "Tshwane Council issues notice of intention to suspend city manager". News24. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
35. "DA motion to suspend Mosola fails". eNCA. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
36. "Second bid to remove Tshwane City manager Moeketsi Mosola fails". SowetanLIVE.
37. "Moeketsi Mosola reaches separation agreement with City of Tshwane". Retrieved 26 July 2019.
38. "Solly Msimanga to step down as Tshwane mayor". News24. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
39. "Msimanga resigns as mayor but Tshwane ANC wants him out now". TheCitizen. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
40. "DA's Stevens Mokgalapa is Tshwane's new mayor". TheCitizen. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
41. "City of Tshwane lands itself a new DA mayor". Retrieved 24 March 2019.
42. "Solly Msimanga named as DA's candidate for Gauteng premier". TimesLIVE. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
43. "DA picks Solly Msimanga for Gauteng premier". eNCA. 19 August 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
44. "ANC hangs onto Gauteng, but it's a whole new political world". Retrieved 17 May 2019.
45. "LIVESTREAM: DA announces Gauteng legislature leadership". Retrieved 17 May 2019.
46. Maphanga, Conny (2 September 2020). "Solly Msimanga appointed as acting DA Gauteng provincial leader". News24. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
47. "Msimanga vs Lorimer - DA Gauteng releases names of candidates for provincial leader". News24. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
48. "DA Gauteng Election Results". Democratic Alliance. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
49. Mavuso, Sihle (12 March 2018). "DA MPL accuses Solly Msimanga of sexual harrassment [sic]". IOL. Durban. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
50. Lindeque, Mia (12 October 2020). "I'm willing to take lie detector over sexual harassment claims, says Msimanga". EWN. Johannesburg. Retrieved 12 October 2020.

External links

• People's Assembly profile
• Profile on Twitter