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Naledi Chirwa

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The Honourable
Naledi Chirwa
MP
Chirwa in 2024
Permanent Delegate to the National Council of Provinces
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 June 2024
Member of the National Assembly
In office
22 May 2019 – 21 May 2024
Personal details
Born
Naledi Nokukhanya Chirwa

(1993-07-22) 22 July 1993 (age 31)
Vosloorus, East Rand
Transvaal, South Africa
Political partyEconomic Freedom Fighters (2015–present)
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Pretoria
OccupationMember of Parliament
ProfessionPolitician

Naledi Nokukhanya Chirwa-Mpungose (born 22 July 1993) is a South African politician and former student activist from Gauteng. She represents the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the National Council of Provinces. She was formerly a member of the National Assembly between May 2019 and June 2024. She rose to prominence through her involvement in the #FeesMustFall student protests at the University of Pretoria between 2015 and 2016.

Early life and education

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Chirwa was born on 22 July 1993 in Vosloorus, East Rand, in Gauteng.[1] She was raised by her grandmother in Mamelodi, Pretoria.[1] In 2009, aged 15, she served as the deputy president of the Tshwane North College (TNC) Further Education & Training (FET), now TNC TVET.[1]

Chirwa earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Honours degree in Drama and Film Studies at the University of Pretoria. As of 2019 she was pursuing a Master of Arts in Theatre and Performance at the University of the Witwatersrand.[2]

Student activism

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She joined the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in 2015 and became a member of the party's Student Command at the University of Pretoria. She was appointed as the command's communications officer.[1] In August 2016, during former president Jacob Zuma's speech at the IEC election centre following the 2016 municipal elections, Chirwa and three other student activists disrupted his speech while holding up signs reading "Khanga", "Remember Khwezi", "I am 1 in 3" and "10 yrs later", in reference to Zuma's rape trial of the mid-2000s.[3][4]

Also in 2016, Chirwa was involved in student protests relating to the #FeesMustFall movement. She was later arrested and suspended on campus as part of her bail conditions.[5] In 2017, she was one of the Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans.[6]

Parliamentary career

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National Assembly: 2019–2024

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In the May 2019 general election, she was elected to the National Assembly of South Africa and became the EFF's youngest Member of Parliament. She was sworn in alongside other student activists, including Peter Keetse, Nompendulo Mkhatshwa and Vuyani Pambo.[7] She was a member of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Health.[8]

On 25 June 2019, she delivered her maiden speech during the State of the Nation Address debate. She was forced to withdraw a comment about the government being complicit in the murders of #FeesMustFall activists.[9][10] In January 2022, she trended on Twitter for calling President Cyril Ramaphosa "toothless" and a "weak little boy".[11]

From around 2020, Chirwa was subject to social media attacks from anonymous users who claimed without substantiation that she was a Malawian national and that her family had fraudulently obtained South African citizenship.[12] In January 2022, she responded to the allegations by tweeting: "You can lie to yourselves about my nationality until you turn green in the buttocks. It will not make your lies the truth and neither will it ever silence me. I didn't buy my voice. I'm not renting it either. Rest assured, I will always speak and there's nothing you can do about it."[13]

In March 2024, Chirwa was absent from a parliamentary vote in order to care for her unwell child. The EFF fined her and instructed her to apologise.[14][15] Shortly afterwards, the EFF released its list of candidates for the upcoming general election, which listed Chirwa in last place.[16][17] EFF leader Julius Malema said that her demotion was the result of a democratic party process.[18]

National Council of Provinces: 2024–present

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In the May 2024 general election, Chirwa was elected to represent the EFF in the Gauteng delegation to the National Council of Provinces, the upper house of the South African Parliament. She was sworn in to her seat on 15 June 2024.[19]

Personal life

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Chirwa has been married since October 2022.[20] She is blessed with two children, one of whom was born in 2021 and the other one born in 2023.[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Zwane, Nokuthula (4 June 2019). "Naledi Chirwa: Voice of the voiceless". Sunday World. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Ms Naledi Nokukhanya Chirwa". Parliament of South Africa. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  3. ^ Makhubu, Ntando (8 August 2016). "Woman in Zuma #Khwezi protest speaks out". IOL. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  4. ^ Ngoepe, Karabo (6 August 2016). "Anti-rape protesters disrupt Zuma's speech". News24. Pretoria. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  5. ^ Madibogo, Julia (19 October 2016). "Who is Naledi Chirwa - Drama student‚ Zuma tormentor‚ EFF student leader and fees must fall campaigner". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  6. ^ Maputla, Tswelopele (23 May 2019). "#BlackGirlMagic: These female parliamentarians are only in their 20s". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  7. ^ Bhengu, Cebelihle (22 May 2019). "Power to the new generation: three young MPs you need to know". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Portfolio Committee on Health - Parliament of South Africa". Parliament of South Africa. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  9. ^ Gerber, Jan (25 June 2019). "EFF's Chirwa forced to withdraw remark that government was complicit in 'brutal murders' of Fees Must Fall activists". News24. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  10. ^ Davis, Gaye (25 June 2019). "Sona debate: EFF's Chirwa forced to withdraw Ramaphosa comments in maiden speech". Eyewitness News. Cape Town. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  11. ^ "The EFF's 28-year-old Naledi Chirwa called Cyril Ramaphosa a 'weak little boy' and now Twitter is divided". IOL. 18 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Twitter storm after EFF MP Naledi Chirwa's nationality questioned". IOL. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Naledi Chirwa hits back at critics: 'You can lie about my nationality until you turn green in the buttocks'". Sunday Times. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Stir as EFF MP Naledi Chirwa fined and made to apologise for missing parliament due to sick baby". Sunday Times. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  15. ^ Ntombela, Nomzamo Portia (11 March 2024). "Naledi Chirwa's apology a disturbing reminder of patriarchy in politics". EWN. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  16. ^ "From 30 to 200: Naledi Chirwa last on EFF list after Malema's cold shoulder to her apology letter". Sunday Times. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  17. ^ Macupe, Bongekile (26 March 2024). "Out with the old, in with the new: Carl Niehaus sitting pretty at number 27 on EFF's list for Parliament". News24. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  18. ^ "'A democratic outcome': Malema on Naledi Chirwa being last on EFF's parliament list". Sunday Times. 5 April 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  19. ^ Merten, Marianne (15 June 2024). "Uncontested National Council of Provinces shows national unity government agreements' impact on matters provincial". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  20. ^ Kahla, Cheryl (3 November 2022). "'Getting married for haters' – EFF's Naledi Chirwa ties the knot [PICS]". The Citizen. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  21. ^ Goba, Thabiso (1 May 2024). "Chirwa decided to work throughout pregnancy, it's not reflective of EFF policies: Malema". EWN. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
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