Ivan Henry Meyer (born 28 March 1962) is a South African politician who has been serving as the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism since 2019. He has held multiple positions in the provincial cabinet. Meyer was elected to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in 2009. He has also been the Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance (DA) since November 2020, a position he previously held in an acting capacity from November 2019 to November 2020. Meyer had served as the First Deputy Federal Chairperson of the DA from 2010 to 2012, and again from 2015 to 2019. He was also the provincial leader of the party in the Western Cape from 2012 to 2015.[1]

Ivan Meyer
Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance
Assumed office
1 November 2020
Interim: 17 November 2019 – 1 November 2020
LeaderJohn Steenhuisen
Preceded byAthol Trollip
Western Cape Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism
Assumed office
23 May 2019
PremierAlan Winde
Preceded byPosition established
Western Cape Provincial Minister of Finance
In office
26 May 2014 – 22 May 2019
PremierHelen Zille
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Deputy Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance
In office
10 May 2015 – 17 November 2019
LeaderMmusi Maimane
ChairpersonAthol Trollip
In office
24 July 2010 – 13 October 2012
LeaderHelen Zille
ChairpersonWilmot James
Western Cape Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport
In office
22 September 2010 – 26 May 2014
PremierHelen Zille
Preceded bySakkie Jenner
Succeeded byNomafrench Mbombo
Western Cape Provincial Minister of Social Development
In office
7 May 2009 – 22 September 2010
PremierHelen Zille
Preceded byZodwa Magwaza
Succeeded byPatricia de Lille
Provincial Leader of the Democratic Alliance
in the Western Cape
In office
13 October 2012 – 18 April 2015
Preceded byTheuns Botha
Succeeded byPatricia de Lille
Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament
Assumed office
6 May 2009
Personal details
Born (1962-03-28) 28 March 1962 (age 62)
NationalitySouth African
Political partyDemocratic Alliance
Alma materUniversity of Stellenbosch (Ph.D.)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • legislator
  • educator
  • poet
  • activist

Career

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Meyer served as the chief director of Provincial Training in the Corporate Services Directorate of the Western Cape Provincial Administration. He was a Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and Local Governance at the University of Stellenbosch. He has also published various works in the fields of education, housing, local government and public administration. Many of his poems were published in the 2012 Afrikaans anthology, Teater van ‘n Velore Tyd.[2]

Political career

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In April 2009, Meyer was elected to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. He was inaugurated as a Member on 6 May 2009. The following day, 7 May 2009, Premier Helen Zille named her Provincial Cabinet and appointed Meyer to the post of Provincial Minister of Social Development. He was sworn in on the same day.[3]

He was elected as one of three Deputy Federal Chairpersons of the DA in July 2010.[4]

Meyer served as Provincial Minister of Social Development until September 2010, when Zille reshuffled her Provincial Cabinet and announced that Patricia de Lille, the Leader of the Independent Democrats, would succeed Meyer. He was appointed Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, succeeding Sakkie Jenner.[5]

In October 2012, he declared his candidacy to replace Theuns Botha as Provincial Leader of the Western Cape. Botha had announced his intention to retire as leader, and Meyer was elected unopposed at the party's Provincial Congress on 13 October 2012. He resigned as a Deputy Federal Chairperson on the same day.[6][7][8]

In May 2014, he was re-elected for a second term as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. Zille appointed him to the post of Provincial Minister of Finance. He took office on 26 May 2014.[9]

Meyer announced in April 2015 that he would stand down as Provincial Leader of the Democratic Alliance. He was succeeded by Patricia de Lille. He announced at the party's Provincial Congress that he was running to be one of the DA's three federal chairperson deputies. Meyer was elected on 10 May 2015 at the party's Federal Congress as the first of the three deputies.[10][11]

In April 2018, Meyer was re-elected as a deputy federal chairperson. He served alongside Mike Waters and Refiloe Nt'sekhe.[12]

In May 2019, newly elected premier Alan Winde appointed Meyer as Provincial Minister of Agriculture.[13]

In October 2019, Meyer announced his candidacy for the post of interim Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance. The post became vacant after party veteran Athol Trollip resigned. He faced Nomafrench Mbombo and Khume Ramulifho for the position.[14] Meyer won the election.[15] He was elected to a full term in 2020, [16] and re-elected in 2023.[17]

Having been re-elected to the Provincial Parliament in the 2024 provincial election, Meyer was reappointed as Provincial Minister of Agriculture; he now leads the provincial Tourism and Economic Development departments as well.[18]

Personal life

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He is married and has children.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Ivan Meyer, Democratic Alliance. Retrieved on 25 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b Dr Ivan Henry Meyer, Western Cape Government. Retrieved on 25 January 2019.
  3. ^ Appointment of the Western Cape Provincial Cabinet, Western Cape Government, 7 May 2009. Retrieved on 25 January 2019.
  4. ^ Donnelly, Lynley. DA elects deputy chairpersons, Mail & Guardian, 25 July 2010. Retrieved on 5 August 2010.
  5. ^ De Lille new W Cape minister, News24, 3 September 2010. Retrieved on 25 January 2019.
  6. ^ DA elects next provincial leader. Retrieved on 25 January 2019.
  7. ^ MEC vies for top DA job, EWN, 27 May 2012. Retrieved on 25 January 2019.
  8. ^ 'Hard worker' Meyer elected DA leader in W Cape, Mail & Guardian, 13 October 2012. Retrieved on 25 January 2019.
  9. ^ Premier appoints 2 women to her cabinet, IOL, 22 May 2014. Retrieved on 5 August 2019.
  10. ^ De Lille crowned new Western Cape DA leader, Mail & Guardian, 18 April 2015. Retrieved on 25 January 2019.
  11. ^ Mmusi Maimane elected new DA leader, EWN, 10 May 2019. Retrieved on 25 January 2019.
  12. ^ Athol Trollip re-elected as DA federal chairperson, News24, 8 April 2018. Retrieved on 25 January 2019.
  13. ^ Western Cape premier Alan Winde's cabinet a mix of old and new, TimesLIVE, 23 May 2019. Retrieved on 23 May 2019.
  14. ^ Karrim, Azarrah (31 October 2019). "Madikizela joins Steenhuisen and Gana in battle to be DA interim leader". News24. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  15. ^ "JUST IN l DA chooses Steenhuisen, Meyer as interim federal leader and chair". News24. 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  16. ^ Nkosi, Nomazima (1 November 2020). "Steenhuisen elected new DA leader". HeraldLIVE. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Steenhuisen to lead DA in 'crucial' 2024 elections - LNN". Midrand Reporter. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  18. ^ "Premier Winde announces his new Cabinet". Western Cape Government. Retrieved 13 June 2024.