National Assembly Elects Ms Thoko Didiza as NA Speaker and Dr Annelie Lotriet as Deputy Speaker
Parliament, Friday, 14 June 2024 – The first sitting of the National Assembly (NA) today elected Ms. Thokozile Didiza as NA Speaker and Dr. Annelie Lotriet as the Deputy Speaker.
Two candidates, Ms. Thoko Didiza and Ms. Veronica Mente, were nominated for the position of Speaker. Ms. Mente received 49 votes, while Ms. Didiza was elected with 284 votes.
Ms. Didiza was the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development during the Sixth Parliament. She was first elected to Parliament in 1994 and was the first woman Deputy Minister of Agriculture from 1994 until 1999.
She served as the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs from 1999 until 2004 and continued in her position as the Minister of Land Affairs and Agriculture from 2004 until 2006. She was appointed as Minister of Public Works in 2006 and served in this position until 2008. Previously Ms Didiza served as National Assembly House Chairperson for Internal Arrangements and as Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee to Amend Section 25 of the Constitution.
Before becoming a Member of Parliament, Ms. Didiza worked in several organizations in various capacities, including as the secretary-general of the Women's National Coalition that produced the Women’s Charter for Effective Equality, which was tabled in the First Parliament. Ms. Didiza holds, among others, a BA degree majoring in sociology and politics and an Honours Degree in politics.