Dumisani Livingstone Ximbi (ANC)

What is your political background? How did you become involved in politics and in particular what drew you to your specific party? I initially started working with the Transkei Defence Force where the then military council had been in support of the ANC. In 1993 General Bantu Holomisa joined the ANC and at the time the military council had deployed me here in the Western Cape as a consul general of the then Republic Of Transkei. After 1994 I worked with General Holomisa when he was appointed Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism up until 1996 when he was expelled by the ANC. I also resigned from that job and we mobilised and established the United Democratic Movement (UDM) in 1997. I remained a leader of the UDM until 2006 in the Western Cape party structures. In 2006 I became a Mayoral Committee (MAYCO) member representing the UDM. In 2011 the ANC approached me to return home two weeks before the local government elections.

How did you then become an MP for the party? I remained an ordinary member of the ANC in Milnerton from May until October 2011 when I was deployed to Parliament in the National Assembly (NA) as a member of the Public Service and Administration, Private Members' Bills and Public Enterprises Portfolio Committees. In 2014 I was deployed to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP)as Chairperson of the Security and Justice Select Committee. I also participate in the Executive Undertakings and the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Select Committees. Additionally I also serve on the Joint Defence and Constitutional Review Committees.

What does your job as an MP entail? On weekends through to Monday I am at my constituency office. From Tuesdays to Thursdays I am in the different committees I am assigned to, but the morning of the Thursday is reserved for party caucus which I attend. On Fridays I attend the Constitutional Review Portfolio Committee which makes my week quite full.

What are your thoughts on the Fifth Parliament? There is a perception in our political parties that being in the NCOP makes an MP irrelevant when in fact deployees to the second house have to be very capacitated as the NCOP is twice as busy as the NA. I have never made a statement in the NA since my introduction to Parliament in 2011 until 2014 whereas in the NCOP all MPs debate and participate in committees. There have been not many differences in joint sittings except that provincial leaders and those from the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) are now allowed to address the joint sitting which is a Fifth Parliament phenomenon. Committees function quite well among party lines with no blockages at the NCOP.

What constituency have you been assigned to by your party? What constituency work have you been involved with and what interest you most about your constituency work? My constituency is in Delft and it is quite busy as the office also functions as an information office for ANC business. Because our offices are still new the only thing we have had in Delft had been engagements with traditional leaders in the Western Cape and the youth brigade where the programmes include training for work placement after completion.

What are you most passionate about? This applies both in a political/professional arena, as well as personally. Personally my Christian religion is most important as I lead quite a big congregation from the entire South Africa as a district apostle.

What is your message to South Africans? South Africans have seen that the ANC respects the Constitution and it is mature. Certainly the party has its own challenges and we are doing introspection looking forward to contesting the 2019 general election.

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