Anthony Benadie

DA Leader in Mpumalanga

Mpumalanga

Anthony was born in Witbank, Mpumalanga in 1979. He was raised in a coal mining environment and relocated permanently to Middelburg in 1993. He is an academic and career politician. He managed the family business for four years, during which time he was involved in the DA through academic involvement and party politics. He lectured on Public Administration for two years, before entering a career of full-time politics. 

Anthony was educated in a mining village primary school and he matriculated with university exemption from Steelcrest High School in 1997. From 1998 - 2000 he completed an undergraduate degree in B. Admin International Relations at the University of Pretoria, where he first entered politics with then DP. In 2001 and 2002, he completed an Honours degree in Public Administration with UNISA.

Having studied politics for five years, he was initially very actively involved in the youth of the party in the Gauteng North region of the DP. When the DA was formed in 2000, he stood for election to the Middelburg Town Council in his home town of Middelburg. He was elected to the Middelburg Town Council in the December 2000 municipal elections, at the age of 20.

He became intensely involved with the affairs of the party and was the Provincial Chairperson of ADAC for two years, until his election to the Provincial Legislature in 2004. Serving as the Chief Whip of the Opposition at the time, he served on all the social cluster portfolio committees. In July 2007, he was elected as the Provincial Leader of Mpumalanga at the provincial congress held in Nelspruit.

As a member of the Legislature, his constituencies include the Steve Tshwete (Middelburg) municipalities, Albert Luthuli (Carolina) and Emakhazeni  Municipaltiy (Belfast / Dullstroom / Watervalboven).

As the Leader of the DA in Mpumalanga, he works intensely in all constituencies in the province, where he sincerely believes that, by 2011, the DA will be part of the government in at least one municipality.

He says that the DA in Mpumalanga continues to be an active and ever present part of the lives of citizens, striving to deliver an exceptional service to all members, voters and citizens.

QUOTE:  Only a passionate desire for success can bolster the DA to unlimited heights in South African Politics, team work being key to this success.