Douglas Maimane

Douglas Seleke Maimane (born 16 June 1969)^[1] is a South African politician who has been mayor of Madibeng Local Municipality in the North West since November 2021. He previously represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2004. In 2006, he was appointed Single Whip of Madibeng Local Municipality until 2009. In 2011 he was appointed as Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Local Economic Development amongst other departments where he served until 2021. He is father to attorney and businessman Letlhogonolo Maimane

Douglas Maimane
Member of the National Assembly
In office June 1999 – April 2004
Constituency	North West
Personal details
Born	Douglas Seleke Maimane (1969-06-16) 16 June 1969 (age 55)
Citizenship	South Africa
Political party	African National Congress

National Assembly: 1999–2004

Maimane was elected to the National Assembly in the 1999 general election, representing the North West constituency.^[1] He served a single term in the seat, leaving after the 2004 general election.

Travelgate: 2005–2006

Less than a year after he left Parliament, Maimane appeared in court on fraud charges in connection with the Travelgate scandal, which saw several MPs accused of abusing parliamentary air-travel vouchers for private gain.^[2][3] In October 2006, he accepted a plea bargain with the Scorpions, in terms of which he pled guilty to theft. He was sentenced to pay a fine of R25,000 or serve three years in prison, with an additional five-year prison sentence suspended for five years.^[4]

Mayor of Madibeng: 2021–present

Maimane later represented the ANC as a local councillor in Madibeng, where he was a Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) until January 2014,^[5] when he was elected as speaker of the council.^[6] His promotion was part of a campaign by the ANC to stabilise the municipality following a series of corruption scandals and violent service delivery protests in Brits.^[7]

Maimane was re-elected as a councillor in the 2021 local elections and after the election, on 22 November, he was elected as executive mayor of Madibeng.^[8] Notwithstanding a scandal in 2022 in which one of Maimane's MMCs accused him of sexual harassment,^[9][10] he remained in the mayoral office as of April 2023.^[11]

References

1. "General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 408, no. 20203. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 11 June 1999. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
2. Pressley, Donwald (18 February 2005). "Travelgate: ANC backs the law". News24. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
3. "Travelgate MPs resign from Parliament". The Mail & Guardian. 23 June 2005. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
4. "Travelgate: 'Some less equal than others'". The Mail & Guardian. 17 October 2006. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
5. "Mayoral member attacked at Brits service". News24. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
6. "Madibeng officials resign". News24. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
7. "Fraudster gets top job in crisis-hit Madibeng". Sunday Times. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
8. "Inaugural council meeting elects speaker, executive mayor and single whip". Madibeng Municipality. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
9. Madibogo, Julia (10 October 2022). "'He touched my bum and ran his hand down [my body]': Madibeng mayor accused of sexual harassment". City Press. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
10. Madibogo, Julia (8 November 2022). "Sexual harassment case against Madibeng mayor going nowhere". City Press. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
11. "Mayor Maimane sorry as Madibeng council returns R146m to Treasury". Sowetan. 18 April 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.