Why (and how) politics?!

I have always been an optimistic and patriotic South African. However, during my time in the NGO sector, I grew increasingly frustrated with the government entities and institutions that I came into contact with during my work, particularly national government and the provincial conservation authorities. In many cases, the work I was leading spoke directly to the state’s objectives and collaboration would have brought them closer to fulfilling their mandate. However, the bureaucratic minefields, delays, non-compliance, and sometimes plain ineptitude of their officials and processes hindered meaningful progress. When I looked with a broader lens at South Africa and our incredible potential, it became clear that our advancement as a nation was being held back by an underachieving government and its backwards policies.

Now, that is far from an epiphany or unique viewpoint. It is clear from the 2024 elections that a majority of South Africans feel similarly.

But, sitting back and complaining simply didn’t sit well with me. We as South Africans have an incredibly high level of resilience which is a godsend given what we have had to endure as a country. But being constantly let down for so long has led to us becoming very tolerant of government failure. We almost expect government to fail and it’s a nice surprise when they get it right. But that shouldn’t stop us from holding them to a certain standard. When government fails, we must demand better. We must punish them at the ballot box, and we must follow whatever channels are available to force improvement. But, we also can’t expect government to function if good people don’t put up their hands to serve. If we demand a high standard of an underqualified, unskilled, and ill-equipped public sector then we will forever be underwhelmed.

With this in mind, I began to look for opportunities to get involved. I had never been engaged in politics actively other than making sure to exercise my democratic right to vote, and I didn’t know where to begin, but I felt that as a young person with potential I could and should make a difference. It was a chance encounter that opened the door for me. A former intern of mine, Kyrone Josiah, encouraged me to apply for the Democratic Alliance (DA) Young Leaders Program. He was part of the 2022 intake and could not speak highly enough of the leadership development he was experiencing. The applications for 2023 had opened and he sent me some links. I set up a camera to film my video application, and, as they say, the rest is history.

The Young Leaders Program is an annual, yearlong program for 20 select under 35s to be developed as future leaders for the party and the country. I did not realise how difficult it was to get in until some of my colleagues told me they had applied four or five times already. Getting in on my first go was apparently a rare feat, especially without any history with the DA or experience as a public representative. In fact, I joined as a member of the DA while waiting to board my plane to the first retreat. It was humbling to be surrounded by ward and PR councilors, DA ancillary body representatives, MECs, and other political fundis. I was lucky to be able to draw on their knowledge and experience as I played political catchup during the year.

My year on the program also coincided with the opening of applications for candidacy in the national and provincial elections in 2024. Naturally, many of my esteemed colleagues were putting themselves forward. I went back and forth with my assigned coach and mentor before eventually deciding to follow suit. I went in with no expectations – much like my application to the Young Leaders Program, I reasoned that there were surely many more worthy candidates but going through the application process would be a good growth opportunity for when something more attainable presented itself. Helen Zille would at the conclusion of the yearlong application process refer to it as a “mini-MBA”. There were eleven stages of selection including written applications, essays, tests, prepared and impromptu speeches, and appearances in front of two separate panels. Each subsequent stage funneled through fewer and fewer applicants. To my surprise, I kept progressing. I drew heavily on my experience on the program and the network I had been fortunate to establish and leant on the skills developed in my career – public speaking, writing, analysis, and research.

I was at the Meetings Africa tourism conference at the Sandton Convention Centre when I received the news that I was listed in an electable position for both the National Assembly (parliament) and the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. I knew at that point that my life had forever changed. I had several meetings left for the day, and I admit that I was somewhat distracted making connections that would be fleeting and more beneficial for my successor than me. I ran into Patricia de Lille while she was doing her rounds as the Minister of Tourism and shook her hand. I wondered with a wry smile if we would soon be direct adversaries in that portfolio.

The decision then needed to be made – parliament or province? I could remain on both lists, but my preference would influence by a few ranking points whether I was more electable on one or the other.

Again, I delved into my support network including politicians, friends, and of course my partner. Provincial politics, at least compared to national, was a less demanding ask: less travel, lower pressures of responsibility, and the opportunity to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond of just 80 seats. Parliament, on the other hand, would require splitting my life between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and I would potentially face at least an initial period as a rank-and-file backbencher among 399 other MPs due to my inexperience. Pay, surprisingly wasn’t a factor as it was equal across the two positions.

Ultimately, I came back to my “why”. I was making this change to make an impact. Given my interests and expertise in the environment and tourism, parliament offered the bigger opportunity to make a difference.

I am equally excited and daunted by what lies ahead. There will no doubt be an exceedingly steep learning curve and very difficult and challenging work and travel, but I am encouraged by the supportive and friendly nature of my colleagues in caucus around me. It feels good to be on the blue team, whatever travails lie ahead of us in this new chapter for South African politics. It is certainly an interesting time to be getting involved, and I am forever grateful to those who have opened doors and supported me along the way.

Last, but by no means least, I am so appreciative of the support offered by friends, family, and my partner, Claudia. Behind every successful person is an army cheering them on and supporting them. I am grateful for Andrew’s Army.