Gerald Morkel
Encyclopedia
Gerald Morkel is a former Mayor
of Cape Town
and Premier of the Western Cape
province in South Africa
. He currently serves as a member of the Cape Town City Council
for the Democratic Alliance.
He was elected on a Labour Party ticket to the coloureds-only House of Representatives in the Tricameral Parliament
in 1984. He defected to the National Party
by 1994, and was appointed the Western Cape leader of the renamed NNP by 1998, when he became premier of the province. However, after the NNP joined with the Democratic Party
to form the Democratic Alliance and later pulled out in 2001, Morkel stayed with the DA. He was then elected as mayor of Cape Town following the end of his term as premier, but only stayed in office for less than a year due to his links to fraudster Jurgen Harksen. He currently serves as a member of the City Council for Steenberg.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and Premier of the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
province in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. He currently serves as a member of the Cape Town City Council
Cape Town City Council
The City Council is the legislative body of the City of Cape Town. It is composed of 221 councillors elected by a system of mixed member proportional representation. 111 councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting, one from each of the 111 electoral wards of the City, while the other 110...
for the Democratic Alliance.
He was elected on a Labour Party ticket to the coloureds-only House of Representatives in the Tricameral Parliament
Tricameral Parliament
The Tricameral Parliament was the name given to the South African parliament and its structure from 1984 to 1994, established by the South African Constitution of 1983...
in 1984. He defected to the National Party
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
by 1994, and was appointed the Western Cape leader of the renamed NNP by 1998, when he became premier of the province. However, after the NNP joined with the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (South Africa)
The Democratic Party was the name of the South African political party now called the Democratic Alliance . Although the Democratic Party name dates from 1989, the party existed under other labels throughout the Apartheid years, when it was the Parliamentary opposition to the ruling National...
to form the Democratic Alliance and later pulled out in 2001, Morkel stayed with the DA. He was then elected as mayor of Cape Town following the end of his term as premier, but only stayed in office for less than a year due to his links to fraudster Jurgen Harksen. He currently serves as a member of the City Council for Steenberg.