Baxolile Nodada
MP
Parliamentary Counsellor to the Leader of the Opposition
Assumed office
5 December 2020
LeaderJohn Steenhuisen
Preceded bySolly Malatsi
Shadow Minister of Basic Education
Assumed office
5 December 2020
LeaderJohn Steenhuisen
Preceded byNomsa Marchesi
Shadow Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology
In office
5 June 2019 – 5 December 2020
LeaderMmusi Maimane
John Steenhuisen
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byAnnelie Lotriet
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Assumed office
22 May 2019
ConstituencyEastern Cape
Personal details
Born
Baxolile Babongile Nodada

(1992-04-02) 2 April 1992 (age 32)
Aliwal North, Cape Province, South Africa
Political partyDemocratic Alliance
EducationHudson Park High School
Nelson Mandela University (BA, BA(Hons))

Baxolile Babongile Nodada (born 2 April 1992) is a South African politician for the Democratic Alliance who has been a Member of Parliament since 2019, and the Shadow Minister of Basic Education and the Parliamentary Counsellor to the Leader of the Opposition in John Steenhuisen's Shadow Cabinet since 2020.

Nodada was Shadow Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology in Mmusi Maimane's Shadow Cabinet.

Early life and education

Nodada was born in 1992 in Aliwal North in South Africa's former Cape Province.[1] His parents divorced in 1993, and he then grew up with his three siblings in a family headed by his mother.[2]

He attended Hudson Park High School in East London, Eastern Cape, where he served on the Representative Council of Learners (RCL). After matriculating from the school in 2010, Nodada enrolled at the Nelson Mandela University. He joined the Democratic Alliance's student organisation on campus and served as the first chairperson of its South Campus branch. In 2013, he was elected to the university's Student Representative Council (SRC).[1]

During his time as an SRC member, he held the positions of deputy secretary-general, culture officer, secretary-general and chief whip.[1] He was DASO's campaign manager at the university in 2014 and 2015, respectively.[1] In 2015, Nodada was given the SRC Member of the Year Leadership Award by the Vice Chancellor.[1]

Nodada graduated with a BA degree in political science and economics in 2014 and an honours degree in public administration and conflict in 2015.[1]

Political career

In 2016, Nodada was elected as the youngest councillor in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.[1] He was assigned to the budget and treasury as well as economic development committees.[3] Nodada graduated from the DA's Young Leader Programme in 2018.[1]

In 2019, Nodada stood for election to the South African National Assembly as 54th on the DA's national list and 5th on the DA's regional-to-national list.[4][5] At the election held on 8 May 2019, Nodada won a seat in parliament.[6][3] He took his seat on 22 May.[7] In the following days, he was appointed as Shadow Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology by Mmusi Maimane.[8][9] Maimane resigned as DA leader in October 2019 and John Steenhuisen was elected interim party leader. Steenhuisen temporarily retained Maimane's shadow cabinet, keeping Nodada in his position.[10]

Nodada supported Steenhuisen's campaign to become party leader for a full term ahead of the DA's Federal Congress on 31 October and 1 November 2020.[11] Following Steenhuisen's victory, Nodada was promoted to Shadow Minister of Basic Education and Parliamentary Counsellor to the Leader of the Opposition.[12] On 11 December 2020, Nodada said that the North Gauteng High Court's decision to set aside the rewriting of two leaked matric exam papers painted a "damning picture" of the Department of Basic Education's "incompetence".[13]

On 7 April 2021, Nodada became a non-voting member of the Committee for Section 194 Enquiry, which will determine if Busisiwe Mkhwebane should be removed as Public Protector.[14] He became a voting member on 21 June 2021 as the committee's composition was reconstituted.[15]

On 9 March 2022, Nodada said that it should be rather be optional than mandatory for school learners to wear masks. He said: "On a risk-based approach, the current requirement is irrational. In South Africa’s current context, the negative impact of a mandatory mask policy exceeds the positive impact."[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "class of 2018 - Democratic Alliance" (PDF). Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  2. ^ Mkoto, Khanya. "A story of persistance, loss and victory". The Young Catalyst. Retrieved 16 December 2020.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ a b Nkosi, Nomazima (22 May 2019). "Bay DA men off to Bhisho, parliament". HeraldLIVE. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Democratic Alliance (DA) Candidates for the 2019 national election". People's Assembly. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Democratic Alliance (DA) Candidates for the 2019 national election Eastern Cape". People's Assembly. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  6. ^ "SEE: These are the people who will represent you in Parliament, provincial legislatures". News24. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Mandela Uni student sworn in as Member of Parliament - #R2bP". news.mandela.ac.za. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  8. ^ Head, Tom (5 June 2019). "DA's Shadow Cabinet: Dependables return, with a small hint of controversy". The South African. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  9. ^ "DA announces its new 'shadow cabinet'". The Citizen. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  10. ^ Merten, Marianne (25 October 2019). "DA manoeuvres: Steenhuisen frontrunner for parliamentary leader as Trollip remains an NMB councillor". The Daily Maverick. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  11. ^ "DA conference: Who supports who?". The Citizen. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  12. ^ Gerber, Jan (7 December 2020). "Steenhuisen's first shadow cabinet reshuffle". News24. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  13. ^ "'DBE's incompetence places exam results of 2020 matrics at risk' after court rewrite ruling". Independent Online (South Africa). 11 December 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  14. ^ Gerber, Jan (22 July 2021). "Parliament names committee which will determine Mkhwebane's fate, RET faction snubbed". News24. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  15. ^ Maqhina, Mayibongwe (23 June 2021). "Busisiwe Mkhwebane impeachment committee reconstituted". Independent Online. Cape Town. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  16. ^ "DA calls for masks to be scrapped for schoolchildren". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 19 March 2022.

External links

Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of South Africa
Current members of the National Assembly of South Africa by party
Categories