Michael Stephen Shackleton is a South African politician who served as a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature from May 2019 to April 2022. Prior to serving in the provincial legislature, he was a Tshwane councillor and a Member of the National Assembly. Formerly a member of the Democratic Alliance, he resigned from the party on 28 April 2022 and joined ActionSA.
Michael Shackleton | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature | |
| In office 22 May 2019 – 29 April 2022 | |
| Member of the National Assembly of South Africa | |
| In office 11 September 2018 – 7 May 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Stephen Shackleton |
| Nationality | South African |
| Political party | ActionSA (2022–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Alliance (Until 2022) |
| Alma mater | University of Pretoria |
| Profession | Advocate Politician |
Background edit
Shackleton is from Centurion in Pretoria. His father died from cancer in 2001 just before he started high school and his mother died of heart failure in 2008, while he was at university.[1] He developed a stutter after the death of his parents.[1]
Shackleton has an LLB from the University of Pretoria and is an advocate.[1] He also holds an LLM degree in constitutional and administrative law, a certificate in provincial and local government law, and a postgraduate certificate in corporate law.[2]
Political career edit
In 2008 Shackleton joined the Democratic Alliance's student organisation at the University of Pretoria.[2] He then became the leader of the party's student organisation at the university and joined the university's student representative council in 2010.[2] He also graduated from the DA's Young Leaders Programme.[2]
He became a councillor in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in 2014, representing the DA.[2] In July 2018, Shackleton was cited by News24 as one of "100 Young Mandelas" in the category "Resilience".[1]
Shackleton entered the National Assembly, the lower house of the South African parliament, on 11 September 2018 as a replacement for Ian Ollis.[3][2] During his time in parliament, he was a member of the Standing Committee on Appropriations.[4]
For the 2019 elections, Shackleton was the 20th candidate on the DA's provincial list for the Gauteng Provincial Legislature election. He was also 81st on the DA's national list and 24th on the party's regional list for the National Assembly election.[5] At the election, he won a seat in the provincial legislature.[6] He served as the DA's Shadow MEC for Community Safety. He was also a member of the Public Accounts committee and the Community Safety portfolio committee.[4]
On 28 April 2022, Shackleton announced in an uploaded video posted on social media that he had resigned as a DA member and therefore as the DA's Gauteng North regional deputy chairperson and as a member of the provincial legislature. He joined ActionSA. Shackleton cited that "the regression of the DA as an inclusive home for all South Africans, and its abandonment of being an electoral alternative to the ANC" and the way the DA treated the community of Ward 96 in Tshwane, of which Shackleton is a resident, as the reasons for his resignation. Shackleton criticised Tshwane mayor Randall Williams and DA leaders Helen Zille and John Steenhuisen for campaigning in ward 96 ahead of the by-election on 4 May 2022 and said that they would "disappear" after the by-election.[7] The DA won the by-election on 4 May.[8]
References edit
- ^ a b c d "Michael Shackleton Category: Resilience". mandela100.news24.com. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mr Michael Shackleton (DA)". People's Assembly. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "National Assembly members" (PDF). Parliamentary Monitoring Group.
- ^ a b "Experience: Michael Stephen Shackleton". People's Assembly. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "#DALists: One South Africa for All in action". Democratic Alliance. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Parliament List 2019". Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ Khumalo, Juniour. "Another blow to DA as Mashaba's ActionSA snaps up senior DA leader". News24. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ Khumalo, Juniour. "By-elections: DA on a victory parade, says ActionSA's bid to split opposition unsuccessful". News24. Retrieved 7 May 2022.