Lindiwe Mazibuko | |
|---|---|
.png) Mazibuko in March 2011 | |
| 18th Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 27 October 2011 – 6 May 2014 | |
| Leader | Helen Zille |
| Preceded by | Athol Trollip |
| Succeeded by | Mmusi Maimane |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| Assembly Member for KwaZulu-Natal | |
| In office 6 May 2009 – 21 May 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lindiwe Desire Mazibuko 9 April 1980 Manzini, Swaziland |
| Nationality | South African |
| Political party | Democratic Alliance |
| Education | St. Mary's Diocesan School for Girls, Kloof |
| Alma mater | University of KwaZulu-Natal University of Cape Town Harvard Kennedy School |
| Website | mazibuko |
Lindiwe Desire Mazibuko (born 9 April 1980) is a South African writer, activist, and former politician. Between 2011 and 2014 she was the parliamentary leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of South Africa. She served in the National Assembly through the Fifth Parliament but resigned in May 2014.
A former DA political staffer, Mazibuko joined the National Assembly in the May 2009 general election. She represented the DA in the KwaZulu-Natal constituency. From 2009 to 2011, she was the national spokesperson of the DA and served in the shadow cabinet of Athol Trollip, first as Shadow Deputy Minister of Communications from 2009 to 2010 and then as Shadow Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform from 2010 to 2011.
On 27 October 2011, after a fierce contest between Mazibuko and Trollip, the DA parliamentary caucus voted to appoint Mazibuko as the party's parliamentary leader, in which capacity she became Leader of the Opposition. She held that position for two-and-a-half years, working alongside DA federal leader Helen Zille. Although she was formerly regarded as Zille's protégé, their relationship became strained in 2013 after a disagreement over the DA's stance on black economic empowerment. As opposition leader Mazibuko sued the Speaker of the National Assembly, challenging the prevailing parliamentary rules for motions of no confidence.
After the May 2014 general election, Mazibuko resigned from the National Assembly, saying that she was taking a temporary hiatus from frontline politics to pursue postgraduate education. Thereafter she became the founder and chief executive officer of Futurelect, a non-profit organisation focused on civic education and skills development in African public service.