Basil Douglas (politician)

Basil Mark Douglas (25 February 1960 – 28 August 2020) be South African politician plus community activist wey work for de coloured suburbs insyd Johannesburg. E serve for de National Assembly from 1999 go 2004, represent Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) till April 2003, den e take advantage of de floor crossing period wey e move go de New National Party (NNP).

Douglas be teacher by profession, den insyd 1994 e found South Western Joint Civic Association, wey e later lead through two big ratepayers' protests. After e lef Parliament for 2004, e represent Democratic Alliance (DA) as local councillor insyd City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality from early 2015 till early 2020, wey dem expel am from DA sake of insubordination.

 Early life den activism 
Dem born Douglas on 25 February 1960 insyd Noordsig, wey dey outside Johannesburg for de former Transvaal province. Under apartheid dem classify am as coloured. E be second born out of seven kiddies, wey ein mommie plus ein grandmommie raise am after ein poppie with ein mommie divorce. E comot school when e be 14, go join gang, but later e go back school, take teaching diploma, den teach history, geography plus physical education for school.

Douglas join Progressive Teachers' Union, wey be predecessor of South African Democratic Teachers' Union, den later join anti-apartheid Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). According to wetin he talk, he dey inside PAC till 1993, when e comot to “focus on community issues”. But de secretary-general of PAC, Benny Alexander, talk say dem expel Douglas from de party sake of sey e no cooperate with internal disciplinary case after dem accuse am say e beat anoda party member. After dem expel am from PAC, he short time join Malcolm Lupton ein National Liberation Front, wey be coloured nationalist movement wey dey campaign for coloured homeland. But Douglas talk say he comot after “about three weeks” as he see say de group be “racist” organisation.

 Johannesburg civics movement 
Douglas rise come reach national eye top for 1994 during de time wey apartheid end. Dat time, e be geography teacher for Eldorado Park. For early September 1994, e start de South Western Joint Civic Association (Sowejoca), wey be group of local civic bodies from de south-western side of Johannesburg wey mostly get coloured people. Unlike de groups wey join South African National Civics Organisation, Sowejoca people no support African National Congress (ANC) or de ANC-allied civic groups wey dem give seat for Transvaal Metropolitan Council. Na Sowejoca lead violent ratepayers’ protests for Johannesburg for September 1994, den again do mass stay-away insyd February 1997, wey too turn violent as dem protest say de rates dey go up. Douglas talk say de ANC government, wey black people dey control, dey treat coloured people bad based on race.

By February 1997, Sowejoca dey operate from inside de Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) office for Johannesburg, but Douglas talk say e no join any party:I no dey any political party. We dey for IFP ein office because dem be kind people. Dem be our friends plus dem do many better things for coloured people. One day, if my head change, I go study dem political paper.

 Parliament: 1999-2004 
Insyd de 1999 general election, Douglas win seat under Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) enter National Assembly, wey be de lower house of South Africa ein Parliament; e represent Gauteng constituency. For 2001, controversy rise for insyd de party sake of say dem talk say Douglas encourage Indian plus coloured members for de party make dem boycott one internal election wey later see white member, Barry Dunn, win as IFP chairperson insyd Gauteng. During de 2003 floor-crossing window, Douglas comot from IFP join New National Party (NNP). E talk say e see NNP as vehicle wey fit unite coloured plus white South Africans. E continue under NNP till 2004 general election end.

 Local government 
Later, Douglas join Democratic Alliance (DA). Insyd de 2014 general election, e try win seat for National Assembly under DA but dem rank am 178th for de party ein national list so e no get seat. But for one by-election for January 2015, e win as local councillor for ward 68 for Johannesburg under DA, where e beat ANC ein candidate with 3,703 votes against 3,315.

But insyd December 2019, Douglas plus one anoda DA councillor, Vinay Choonie, no follow DA ein order; dem vote plus ANC make Geoff Makhubo become Mayor of Johannesburg. After dat one, dem still go one council sitting again wey vote for ANC ein Nonceba Molwele as Speaker of de council, still go against wetin DA talk. As DA talk say dem go carry disciplinary charges against dem, Douglas come talk for public say DA be “white racist party.” Dem later expel am from de party, and dat make e lose ein seat for de council. Na ANC demself talk say after DA expel am, Douglas join ANC before e die on 28 August 2020.

 Ein life matter 
Douglas describe einself as a born-again Christian. Na he marry den as of 1997 he get two kiddies.

 References 

 External links 

 Basil Mark Douglas at People's Assembly

Category:1960 births
Category:2020 deaths
Category:Human
Category:South African people
Category:Politicians wey komot Johannesburg
Category:Coloureds
Category:Inkatha Freedom Party politicians
Category:Pan Africanist Congress of Azania politicians
Category:Democratic Alliance (South Africa) politicians
Category:Members of de National Assembly of South Africa 1999–2004