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Jesse Ventura
Dion George | |
|---|---|
 George in 2024 | |
| Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment | |
| Assumed office 3 July 2024 | |
| President | Cyril Ramaphosa |
| Deputy | Narend Singh Bernice Swarts |
| Preceded by | Barbara Creecy |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| Assumed office 22 May 2019 | |
| In office 15 January 2008 – 1 June 2015 | |
| Permanent Delegate to the National Council of Provinces | |
| Assembly Member for Western Cape | |
| In office 15 November 2018 – 7 May 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dion Travers George 26 May 1966 Durban, Natal Province South Africa |
| Political party | Democratic Alliance |
| Alma mater | |
Dion Travers George (born 26 May 1966) is a South African politician who has served as the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries since July 2024. He is a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Alliance (DA).
After a career in the financial services industry, George entered party politics in 2005 when he was elected as chairman of the DA's branch in Sandown, Sandton, an upscale suburb of Johannesburg. Following two years in the Johannesburg City Council, he joined Parliament in January 2008 and became the DA's Shadow Minister of Finance in May 2009.
He served in the National Assembly from 2008 to 2015 and in the National Council of Provinces from 2018 to 2019, with a hiatus in the private sector between 2015 and 2018. He returned to the National Assembly in the May 2019 general election and joined the cabinet after the May 2024 general election, when the DA formed a coalition government with the African National Congress.
George has been the DA's federal finance chairperson since April 2018. He formerly held the same office between 2010 and 2015.
Early life and career
Dion was born on 26 May 1966[1] in Durban.[2] During his childhood he moved to Vanderbijlpark, where he completed high school. Thereafter he moved to Johannesburg to enroll in the University of the Witwatersrand,[2] where he completed a BA.[3]
After completing his undergraduate degree and compulsory service in the South African Defence Force, he worked in the financial services industry in Johannesburg.[2] He also received an honours degree in industrial and organisational psychology at the University of South Africa (Unisa), an MBA from Wits, and a doctor of business leadership from Unisa.[3]
Meanwhile, he joined the Democratic Party, later the Democratic Alliance (DA), in 1995, and in 2005 he was elected chairman of the DA's Sandown branch in the suburb of Sandton.[2] After the March 2006 local elections, he joined the City of Johannesburg council as a proportional-representation councillor for the DA.[2]
Parliamentary opposition
Shadow cabinet: 2008–2015
On 15 January 2008, George was sworn in to a DA seat in the National Assembly, the lower house of the South African Parliament.[4] He filled the casual vacancy that arose after Douglas Gibson resigned from his seat to become an ambassador.[5] George was elected to full terms in the seat in the April 2009 general election and May 2014 general election. He was appointed as Shadow Minister of Finance after the 2009 election, in Atholl Trollip's shadow cabinet,[6] and he retained that position in Mmusi Maimane's shadow cabinet from 2014.[7] The DA also named him as its constituency contact in Sandton North and Midrand.[2][8]
In addition, for much of this period Dion served as the DA's federal finance chairperson. He was first elected to that office in 2010 and gained re-election at the party's November 2012 congress,[9] prevailing in a contest against Alf Lees.[10] However, when the DA's next federal congress was called in 2015, George did not stand for re-election;[11] instead, Lees was elected to succeed him at the conference in May 2015.[12]
On 1 June 2015, George resigned his seat in the National Assembly, ceding it to Brandon Topham.[13] David Maynier took over his portfolio in the shadow cabinet.[14]
National Council of Provinces: 2018–2019
After his resignation, George returned to his private-sector career in finance.[15] However, he reverted to politics before the end of that parliamentary term. In April 2018, he attended the DA's federal congress, where he was elected to return as federal finance chairperson, defeating Alf Lees's re-election bid.[16][17] Thereafter, on 15 November 2018, he was sworn in to a seat in the upper house of Parliament, the National Council of Provinces, where he filled a casual vacancy in the DA caucus.[8] He was appointed as the DA's constituency contact in Beaufort West.
Return to the National Assembly: 2019–2024
In the next general election in May 2019, George was elected to return to the National Assembly. He appointed as Shadow Deputy Minister of Finance, deputising Geordin Hill-Lewis,[18] and he also served as the DA's constituency contact in Knysna. He retained his position as DA federal finance chairperson, gaining re-election uncontested at the party's federal congresses in October 2020 and April 2023.[19][20]
National executive
George was re-elected to his parliamentary seat in the May 2024 general election, and, in line with the coalition agreement reached between the DA and African National Congress (ANC), President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed him as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Narend Singh of the DA and Bernice Swarts of the ANC were appointed as his deputies.[21]
After his appointment was announced, George promised that he would not be an "extremist" in the portfolio and undertook to "continue the good work" of his predecessor, Barbara Creecy of the ANC.[3] He said that his priority as minister would be climate finance and the just transition to a low-carbon economy.[22] He also declared his interest in investigating how the environment portfolio could contribute to economic growth,[23] especially in areas like coal-generating Mpumalanga that faced economic risks from decarbonisation.[24]
Later in 2024, George attended COP29 in Baku as a member of the South African delegation; he also co-chaired the conference's mitigation track, with his Norwegian counterpart Tore O. Sandvik.[25][26]
Personal life
George is gay and married.[27][28]
References
- ^ "Final Candidate Lists for 2024 National and Provincial Elections: National Candidates" (PDF). Electoral Commission of South Africa. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Dion George: Shadow Minister of Finance". Democratic Alliance. Archived from the original on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ a b c Engel, Kristin (22 July 2024). "South Africa's new environment minister takes a pragmatic approach". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "National Assembly Members". Parliamentary Monitoring Group. 15 January 2009. Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "MP Corner: Mr Dion George". People's Assembly. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "DA shadow cabinet – full list of names". PoliticsWeb. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ Merten, Marianne (6 June 2014). "Maimane announces DA's shadow cabinet". IOL. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Dion George". People's Assembly. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "New – black and young – faces in the DA". News24. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "DA voting completed". News24. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "The candidates for Federal Congress 2015". PoliticsWeb. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "Maimane is the new leader of the Democratic Alliance". The Citizen. 10 May 2015. Archived from the original on 12 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ "Fifth Parliament: List of Members" (PDF). Parliamentary Monitoring Group. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ "David Maynier new DA Shadow Minister of Finance". PoliticsWeb. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "Dion George". Democratic Alliance. Archived from the original on 12 May 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ "Maimane stands uncontested for re-election as DA leader". News24. 18 March 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ Nicolson, Greg (8 April 2018). "DA Federal Congress: Trollip wins DA federal chair race but next hurdle – surviving a motion of no confidence – is already in sight". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ Gerber, Jan. "Here's the DA's 'shadow cabinet'". News24.
- ^ "DA announces leadership candidates". News24. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ Naidoo, Sonri (31 March 2023). "Steenhuisen is likely to get a second term as DA leader at congress". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ Ramaphosa, Cyril (30 June 2024). "Working together to 'serve the people': Ramaphosa names new Cabinet". News24. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ Ensor, Linda (3 July 2024). "SA must be sensible about climate change, says new environment minister Dion George". Business Day. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ Bega, Sheree (3 July 2024). "I'm focusing on the just transition, says new environment minister Dion George". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ Engel, Kristin (15 July 2024). "New SA environment minister outlines priorities for the year". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "Environment minister pushing for climate action breakthrough at COP29". The Mail & Guardian. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ Paton, Carol (12 November 2024). "DA's Dion George heads to COP29 with much on his shoulders". News24. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ Davis, Rebecca (6 May 2013). "US gays' ultimate choice: For love or your country". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "Dion George 'proud to be SA's first openly gay minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment'". Sunday Times. 5 March 2025. Archived from the original on 28 April 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
External links
- Dion George at People's Assembly