Andrew Louw (politician)

Andrew Louw (born 28 August 1969) is a South African politician who served as Leader of the Opposition in the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature from 2014 until 2021. He was the Provincial Leader of the Democratic Alliance in the Northern Cape from 2009 to 2020. He was previously a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa where he served as the Shadow Minister of Labour. Louw was the Democratic Alliance's Northern Cape Premier candidate for the 2014 and 2019 elections.[1][2]

Andrew Louw
Leader of the Opposition in the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature
In office
21 May 2014 – 30 November 2021
PremierZamani Saul
Sylvia Lucas
Preceded byFred Wyngaard
Succeeded byHarold McGluwa
Shadow Minister of Labour
In office
14 May 2009 – 6 September 2010
ShadowingMembathisi Mdladlana
Preceded byMark Lowe
Succeeded byIan Ollis
Leader of the Democratic Alliance in the Northern Cape
In office
24 August 2009 – 5 December 2020
Preceded byChris Liebenberg
Succeeded byHarold McGluwa
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
In office
6 May 2009 – 10 September 2010
ConstituencyNorthern Cape
Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature
In office
13 September 2010 – 31 March 2022
ConstituencySol Plaatje
Personal details
Born (1969-08-28) 28 August 1969
Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa
Political partyActionSA (2022–present)
Democratic Alliance (Until 2022)
SpouseMariam
Children3
ResidenceKimberley, Northern Cape

Family and personal life

Andrew Louw was born in 1969 in Kimbereley. He matriculated from Homevale Senior Secondary School. He went on to study at various universities and achieved a Marketing Management Diploma and a Business Management Diploma from the Rand Afrikaans University. He obtained an Operations Management Diploma from the University of Pretoria and a Diversity Management Diploma from the University of the Witwatersrand. Louw also achieved a Labour Relations qualification from the University of South Africa.[3]

He is married to Mariam Louw, a PR councillor in the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality. They have three children together.[3]

Political career

Louw served as a Sol Plaatje Municipality councillor from 2006 until his election to the National Assembly in 2009. He took office as a Member of the National Assembly on 6 May 2009. On 14 May 2009, Democratic Alliance Parliamentary Leader Athol Trollip appointed Louw as the Shadow Minister of Labour.[4]

On 24 August 2009, National Democratic Alliance Leader Helen Zille designated Louw to the post of Provincial Leader of the Northern Cape Democratic Alliance after incumbent Provincial Leader Chris Liebenberg had resigned.[5]

In September 2010, the Democratic Alliance announced that Louw would be redeployed to the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature. Ian Ollis succeeded him as Shadow Minister of Labour. Louw resigned as a Member of the National Assembly on 10 September 2010. He took office as a Member of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature on 13 September 2010.[6]

In January 2014, the Democratic Alliance selected him to be the party's premier candidate for the 2014 general elections. He lost to incumbent Premier Sylvia Lucas of the African National Congress. However, the Democratic Alliance did become the largest opposition party in the province, and Louw consequently took up the post of Leader of the Opposition.[7]

In September 2018, the National Leader of the Democratic Alliance Mmusi Maimane announced Louw as the party's premier candidate for the 2019 elections.[8]

In May 2019, the Democratic Alliance failed to unseat the African National Congress in the Northern Cape. The DA did manage to retain its position as Official Opposition with an increase in the number of seats in the party's provincial legislature caucus. Louw remained Leader of the Opposition.[9][10]

In October 2020, Louw announced his intention to retire as provincial leader of the party.[11][12] Harold McGluwa was elected to succeed him.[13]

McGluwa was elected to replace Louw as DA caucus leader in the provincial legislature on 30 November 2021. On 4 March 2022, Louw resigned from the provincial legislature to pursue business interests. He said that he would remain a DA member.[14]

In August 2022, the DA suspended Louw, his wife and DA MPL Grantham Steenkamp's party memberships over allegations that they were recruiting DA members to join ActionSA. Louw denied recruiting members to join ActionSA. He subsequently resigned from the DA and joined ActionSA after claiming that "the DA is no longer a conducive home for black members."[15]

On 26 September 2022, Louw was appointed the chairperson of ActionSA by party leader Herman Mashaba.[16]

References
  1. Mailula, Naledi. DA reveals elections candidate list, IOL, Johannesburg, 25 January 2014. Retrieved on 9 February 2019.
  2. Brandt, Kevin. DA's Andrew Louw announced as NC premier candidate for 2019 elections, Eyewitness News, 15 September 2018. Retrieved on 9 February 2019.
  3. ANDREW LOUW Provincial Leader, DA Northern Cape. Retrieved on 9 February 2019.
  4. DA shadow cabinet - full list of names, Politicsweb, 14 May 2009. Retrieved on 9 February 2019.
  5. Mochoari, Refilwe. DA appoints new NC leader, OFM, 24 August 2009. Retrieved on 9 February 2019.
  6. DA shadow cabinet reshuffled - Athol Trollip, Politicsweb. Retrieved on 9 February 2019.
  7. DA reveals election candidates, News24, 25 January 2014. Retrieved on 10 February 2019.
  8. DA reveals its NC premier candidate. Retrieved on 9 February 2019.
  9. ANC comes out tops in Northern Cape, IOL. Retrieved on 10 May 2019.
  10. Ambitious DA fails to take Northern Cape, Mail & Guardian, 10 May 2019. Retrieved on 10 May 2019.
  11. Beangstrom, Patsy (2 October 2020). "Andrew Louw to step down as Northern Cape DA leader". IOL. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  12. Deklerk, Aphiwe (2 October 2020). "Northern Cape DA leader to step down from his position". HeraldLIVE. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  13. "DA in N Cape elects McGluwa as new provincial leader". 6 December 2020.
  14. Sandi Kwon Hoo (4 March 2022). "Louw leaves legislature". DFA. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  15. Khumalo, Juniour. "'DA no longer a conducive home for black members': Former Northern Cape leader joins ActionSA". News24. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  16. "Mashaba says more DA members will join ActionSA ahead of the 2024 national elections". SABC News. 26 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
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