Anthony Matumba
MP
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Assumed office
26 January 2022
Preceded byPatrick Sindane
Personal details
Born
Anthony Matumba
Political partyEconomic Freedom Fighters
OccupationMember of Parliament
ProfessionPolitician

Anthony Matumba is a South African politician who has been a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa since January 2022. A member of the Economic Freedom Fighters, he serves on the party's Central Command Team, its highest decision-making structure. He is a former Makhado Local Municipality councillor.

Political career

Matumba is a member of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party. In 2016, he was elected as a councillor for the EFF in the Makhado Local Municipality in Limpopo. He was elected as an additional member of the EFF's Central Command Team structure, the party's highest decision-making structure between congresses, at the EFF's elective conference in December 2019.[1]

In July 2020, an investigation by the Digital Forensic Lab (DFRLab) linked the race-baiting Tracy Zille Twitter account used to spread disparaging and racist content and to harass black women to Matumba.[2] It was also revealed that Matumba was receiving an income from making the hateful comments on Twitter through companies he owned and registered to which Twitter users were directed. Matumba has denied being in charge of the Twitter account.[3] The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) then took Matumba to the Equality Court after it received a complaint from a member of the public. The case was heard in court on 27 July 2021,[4] and was postponed to August 2021 on 29 July.[5]

Parliament

The Equality Court case was set to continue on 26 January 2022, but it was postponed to allow Matumba to be sworn in as an EFF Member of the National Assembly.[6] The swearing-in ceremony was presided over by Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.[7][8][9]

References

  1. ^ Cele, S’thembile. "EFF elects 40-member central command team". Citypress. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  2. ^ "EFF central command team member linked to race-baiting Tracy Zille account". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  3. ^ "#TracyZille outed as front for EFF-aligned local government official — Lies, he says". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  4. ^ "EFF councillor in court over racist 'Tracy Zille' tweets". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Case against EFF councillor allegedly behind controversial @TracyZille account postponed". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  6. ^ Belinda Pheto. "EFF member alleged to be behind fake #TracyZille account to be sworn in as MP today". DispatchLIVE. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  7. ^ Felix, Jason. "EFF councillor accused of using fake 'Tracy Zille' account sworn in as MP". News24. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  8. ^ Dayimani, Malibongwe. "EFF member accused of using fake 'Tracy Zille' Twitter account to be sworn in as an MP". News24. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  9. ^ "EFF member behind fake account sworn in as party MP". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 28 January 2022.

External links

Current members of the National Assembly of South Africa by party
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