As we near the 2009 National Elections, South Africa once again finds itself in a position where the voice of the voter is marginalised because of the lack of regulations on political party funding. The impact of this on our democracy cannot and must not be underestimated. And until the ANC and the DA get […]
Patricia de Lille
Patricia de Lille, the president of the Independent Democrats, has been active in politics for a quarter of a century. She is known for her role as a trade unionist in the struggle and as the initial whistle-blower on the infamous arms-deal corruption.
In 1988 she was elected vice-president of the National Council of Trade Unions. She became an MP in 1994 after leading the PAC delegation to the constitutional negotiations in Kempton Park and went on to chair the parliamentary committee on transport until 1999. On March 26 2003 she formed the Independent Democrats, which won national and provincial seats in the 2004 elections, becoming the first woman since freedom to do so.
De Lille has been the recipient of numerous awards including being voted Woman of the Year by Rapport/City Press and one of the Top 5 Women in Government and Government Agencies, and has been recognised as a leading HIV/Aids activist by an international organisation. She is a former chancellor of the Durban Institute of Technology, an honorary colonel in the SANDF and serves on the boards of the African Monitor, the Helen Suzman Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund.
She has been described by Nelson Mandela as "a strong, principled woman" and his "favourite opposition politician".