Watty Watson

Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance

Watty Watson hails from Kwazulu Natal and matriculated from Port Natal High School in Durban in 1962. He went on to study commerce and management and worked at the maize board until 1965. He then worked for Paragon Business Forms where he progressed from sales representative to sales and marketing manager. From 1981 to 1997, he worked for the Kontra Group, rising to the position of board chairman in 1994.

Watty served at local government level in Mpumalanga for many years and on several different councils. These included positions on the Transvaal Roads Board, the Nature Conservation Committee and on the Marloth Park Local Council, where he was deputy mayor from 1991 to 1994. He then served on the Onderberg Local Govt. Council, Lowveld & Escarpment Regional Services Council and then as a Councillor and Leader of the Opposition on the Metsweding District Council.

Watty began his political career as a member of the National Party in 1965. He joined the DA in 2000 and went on to hold several high profile positions in the Mpumalanga Provincial structures, including Provincial Director.

Watty was first elected to parliament in 2000 and then again in 2004 as a permanent delegate to the NCOP for the Mpumalanga Province where he was appointed DA Leader in the NCOP. He sits on the NCOP Select Committees on Land, Agriculture, Water Affairs, Nature Conservation, Tourism and Public services. Watty was re-appointed as DA Leader in the NCOP on his re-election to Parliament in 2009.

Watty also has a long and distinguished Masonic career and is a Past Assistant Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of SA. He is the South African representative for the Grand Lodge of Portugal and the Grand Lodge of Indiana, USA, and has since been elevated to the rank of Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of South Africa.

Watty has a love of languages and speaks many fluently including isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, ndebele, siSwati and Setswana. He loves nature conservation, travel and outdoor living.

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Parliamentary enquiries: 021 403 2910