Tania Campbell

Tania Lynette Campbell is a South African Democratic Alliance politician who has been the Executive Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since 22 November 2021. Campbell also serves as the DA's caucus leader in the metro.

Alderwoman
Tania Campbell
Campbell in 2021
Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
Assumed office
22 November 2021
Preceded byMzwandile Masina
Leader of the Democratic Alliance Caucus in Ekurhuleni
Assumed office
October 2020
Preceded byPhillip de Lange
Chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance in Ekurhuleni
Assumed office
since 2013
Member of the Ekurhuleni City Council
Assumed office
since 2000
Personal details
Born
Tania Lynette Campbell[1]

1963 (age 58)
South Africa
NationalitySouth African
Political partyDemocratic Alliance
ResidenceGermiston, Ekurhuleni, South Africa
Occupation
  • Politician
  • legislator

Early life

Campbell attended Germiston Technical College. She went on to study human rights and executive municipal leadership with a focus on budgetary principles and performance management at the University of Pretoria.[2]

Political career

Campbell joined the Democratic Alliance in 1997 and became a councillor in 2000 when the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality was established. She won Ward 21 (Primrose) in 2006 and held onto it.[3] In 2013, she was elected chairwoman of the DA caucus in the metro.[4] She was also the DA's community safety spokesperson. In October 2020, she was elected as DA caucus leader after the incumbent, Phillip de Lange, resigned after a motion of no confidence was brought against him.[5]

Mayor of Ekurhuleni

Election

In the local elections held on 1 November 2021, no party obtained a majority of seats in the city council. The DA came in second with 28% of the vote behind the ANC with 38% of the vote. The DA mayoral candidate for the metro, Refiloe Nt'sekhe, withdrew her councillor candidacy on 8 November to instead continue serving as a member of the provincial legislature since she believed that she would not be elected Executive Mayor.[6]

At the inaugural council meeting on 22 November, Raymond Dlamini of the DA was unexpectedly elected as speaker of the council with the help of smaller parties such as ActionSA and the Economic Freedom Fighters in a major political upset.[7] The DA then nominated Campbell as their candidate in the election for mayor against the incumbent Mzwandile Masina from the African National Congress. Campbell won with 116 votes over Masina's 105 votes, becoming the first DA member to serve as Executive Mayor of the metro.[8][9] Campbell said in an interview with News24 that she was shocked that she was elected mayor and that her tenure as mayor would be "tough" as the DA does not hold a majority of seats in the council. She said in her inaugural address as mayor that she would be focusing on service delivery issues in the metro.[10]

Tenure

On 11 December 2021, Campbell announced her 10-member mayoral committee. A majority of the members belong to the DA, while ActionSA secured two portfolios, the Inkatha Freedom Party and the Congress of the People received one portfolio each. Campbell said that her mayoral committee will begin to work to "charter a new path of renewed hope for the communities of Ekurhuleni".[11][12]

References
  1. "Tania Lynette Campbell". People's Assembly. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  2. Mdhlela, Jo-Mangaliso (29 November 2021). "Ekurhuleni's DA mayor faces 'mammoth' task after 'shock' votes from EFF, ActionSA". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  3. De Waal, Brandy (18 October 2012). "Shack flames highlight Makause's deadly combo of lies and local politics". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  4. "DA elects new caucus leader and chief whip". Benoni City Times. 2013-11-28. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  5. "DA in Ekurhuleni replaces its caucus leadership". Boksburg Advertiser. 2020-10-03. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  6. https://www.timeslive.co.za/authors/nonkululeko-njilo. "DA's Refiloe Nt'sekhe clarifies 'absence' from Ekurhuleni council election". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  7. "Major shake-up in City of Ekurhuleni as DA clinches Speaker position". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  8. "DA's Tania Campbell elected Ekurhuleni mayor | eNCA". www.enca.com. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  9. "DA's Tania Campbell elected Ekurhuleni mayor". The Citizen. 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  10. Mahlati, Zintle. "Shocked, but ready for the job! Ekurhuleni mayor Tania Campbell to extend hand to opposition". News24. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  11. "Tania Campbell announces majority DA Ekurhuleni mayoral committee". The Citizen. 2021-12-11. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  12. Mahlati, Zintle. "ActionSA bags two mayoral committee positions in Ekurhuleni". News24. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
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