Mmabatho Tembe is a South African politician who has served as the Deputy Speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature since June 2024. A member of the Democratic Alliance, she has served in the provincial legislature since December 2021. Tembe had previously served as a councillor in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.

Mmabatho Tembe
Tembe in 2024
Deputy Speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
Assumed office
14 June 2024
PremierThami Ntuli
Preceded byThemba Mthembu
Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature
Assumed office
7 December 2021
Preceded byChris Pappas
Personal details
BornDurban, South Africa
Political partyDemocratic Alliance
EducationQueensburgh Girls' High School
Alma materUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal
ProfessionPolitician

Early life and education

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Tembe was born and grew up in Durban. She matriculated from Queensburgh Girls' High School. Tembe graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal with a degree in Social Sciences majoring in Psychology and Anthropology before she graduated with an Honours degree in Counseling Psychology.[1] She has also earned a certificate in project management from the University of Cape Town.[1]

Career

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Tembe worked as a research assistant to the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Durban University of Technology. She then became an Academic Development Advisor at the Health Sciences Department of the university.[1]

Political career

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Tembe joined the Democratic Alliance branch in Ward 33 in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in 2014. She was appointed secretary of the party's Central Durban constituency.[1]

Tembe was elected a DA councillor in the eThekwini municipality in 2016. During her tenure as a councillor, she served on the economic development committee, before moving to the community safety committee where she was whip for two terms.[1]

On 7 December 2021, Tembe was sworn in as a DA Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature. She filled the casual vacancy that arose after the resignation of Chris Pappas who was elected mayor of the uMngeni Local Municipality.[1]

During a special sitting of the legislature held on 10 August 2022 to elect a new Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, the DA caucus nominated Tembe to contest the election against the ANC's candidate Nomusa Dube-Ncube. Dube-Ncube defeated Tembe by a margin of 45 to 11 votes.[2][3]

Tembe was elected deputy speaker of the provincial legislature following the 2024 provincial election.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "DA welcomes eThekwini Cllr Mmabatho Tembe to KZN Legislature Caucus team". Democratic Alliance - KwaZulu-Natal. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  2. ^ Stone, Setumo. "Dube-Ncube's election as KZN premier begins with a showdown". City Press. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  3. ^ "Dube-Ncube makes history as KZN's first woman premier". Jacaranda FM. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  4. ^ "DA's Tembe elected KZN Legislature Deputy Speaker". The Witness. 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
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