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Fawzia Peer

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Fawzia Peer
Deputy Mayor of eThekwini
In office
23 August 2016 – 5 September 2019
MayorZandile Gumede
Preceded byNomvuzo Shabalala
Succeeded byBelinda Scott
Personal details
Born
Fawzia Asmal

Stanger, Natal Province
Political partyAfrican National Congress
RelationsKader Asmal (uncle)
Alma materUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal

Fawzia Peer (née Asmal) is a South African politician and businesswoman. A member of the African National Congress, she was the Deputy Mayor of eThekwini Local Municipality between August 2016 and September 2019. During that time, from June 2019 onwards, she was the Acting Mayor while Mayor Zandile Gumede faced criminal charges.

In January 2023 Peer was co-opted onto the ANC National Executive Committee. The following year she became the head of capacity building for the BRICS Women's Business Alliance.

Early life and education

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Peer was born in Stanger in the former Natal Province. She was one of three children, and the only daughter, of Ebrahim and Mariam Asmal, who were conservative Muslims.[1] She attended Stanger High School.[1] In her later life she completed postgraduate diplomas at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.[2]

Her paternal uncle was Kader Asmal, an anti-apartheid activist who lived in exile in Britain. As a child she was disturbed by his exile,[1] and when she visited Dublin he "conscientised" her, introducing her to the anti-apartheid movement and African National Congress (ANC).[3] After the ANC was unbanned in 1990, she became a prominent figure in the party's branch in Durban.[4]

Deputy Mayor of eThekwini: 2016–2019

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Pursuant to the August 2016 local elections, Peer was elected as deputy mayor of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, in which capacity she deputised mayor Zandile Gumede.[5][6] City Press reported that her election followed "a shift of allegiance" by Peer, who had formerly been viewed as an ally of Gumede's predecessor and rival, James Nxumalo.[7] In later years there were rumours that tensions continued to exist between Gumede and Peer.[8]

In July 2018 the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) reported Peer to the speaker of the council for violating the councillors' code of conduct. The complaint arose from a phone call between Peer and a resident of Reservoir Hills, which the resident recorded, in which Peer said that "service delivery is not my job" and suggested that she was not concerned about service delivery in DA-controlled wards.[9][10]

Gumede was arrested on corruption charges in May 2019 and the ANC compelled her to take a leave of absence the following month. On 12 June 2019, the municipality confirmed that Peer was standing in as acting eThekwini mayor during Gumede's leave.[11] Though Gumede was initially put on one month's leave,[12] her leave was extended in August.[13] Her allies reportedly ran a concerted campaign to block Peer from being appointed to the mayoral office permanently.[14]

In the last week of August, the ANC announced a reshuffle of its caucus in eThekwini, which would see Mxolisi Kaunda replacing Gumede as mayor and Belinda Scott replacing Peer as deputy mayor.[15] Peer continued as mayor until reshuffle could be effected.[16] After Kaunda and Scott were sworn in on 5 September 2019,[17] Peer continued to serve as an ordinary councillor until the November 2021 local elections, when she ceded her seat in the council.[18] After she left the council, she retreated from politics and worked in the private sector as a consultant.[19]

ANC National Executive Committee: 2023–present

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In January 2023, in an apparent political comeback for Peer,[20] she and three other politicians – Steve Letsike, Alvin Botes, and Gerhard Koornhof – were co-opted onto the ANC's National Executive Committee.[19] The committee had been elected for a five-year term at the ANC's recent 55th National Conference, but its demographic composition had been criticised; the party said that the co-options were intended to increase the representation of minorities on the committee.[21]

In June 2024, Peer was appointed as head of capacity building for the BRICS Women's Business Alliance.[22]

Personal life

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At the age of 18, she married Dawood Peer, an ear, nose and throat doctor, in an arranged marriage. She said in 2017 that he she would choose to marry him "10 times over".[1] They have four children, two of whom are twins.[1]

Peer is a strident opponent of Zionism and supports a one-state solution to the Israel–Palestine conflict.[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Putting the needs of others before your own". Sunday Tribune. 16 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Fawzia Peer: Chairperson of the Minara Women's Association". KwaZulu-Natal Top Business. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  3. ^ Mallinson, Theresa (23 June 2011). "RIP Kader Asmal, an extraordinary man of principle". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Wannabe city bosses line up for race". News24. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  5. ^ Ndou, Clive (29 August 2016). "Peer committed to the city". The New Age. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Fawzia Peer new eThekwini deputy mayor". East Coast Radio. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  7. ^ Harper, Paddy (21 August 2016). "Zandile Gumede takes eThekwini despite legal challenges". City Press. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  8. ^ Teke, Zohra (15 March 2017). "DA playing 'dirty' in eThekwini deputy mayor row – mayor". News24. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  9. ^ Broughton, Tania (18 July 2018). "eThekwini deputy mayor tells resident 'service delivery is not my job' in recorded phone call". News24. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  10. ^ Breakfast, Siviwe (19 July 2018). ""Service delivery is not my job" – Deputy Mayor tells resident". The South African. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Fawzia Peer takes over mayor's responsibilities". ECR. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  12. ^ Tandwa, Lizeka (25 June 2019). "Zandile Gumede unlikely to return as eThekwini mayor after 'special leave' ends – ANC insiders". News24. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  13. ^ Khumalo, Juniour (6 August 2019). "eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede's leave of absence extended". City Press. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Upwards and Out for Mayor Gumede?". The Mail & Guardian. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  15. ^ "New mayors for eThekwini and Msunduzi municipalities 'a plus for Ramaphosa'". Business Day. 22 August 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  16. ^ "New mayor for Durban at last as Gumede's resignation is confirmed". The Mail & Guardian. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  17. ^ "It's finally official: Mxolisi Kaunda named as eThekwini mayor". Sunday Times. 6 September 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  18. ^ Singh, Kaveel (16 November 2021). "Indians in ANC KwaZulu-Natal out in the cold after elections". News24. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Fawzia Peer ready to work for the people in new role as ANC executive". Al-Qalam. 4 February 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Former deputy mayor of eThekwini, Fawzia Peer makes a political come back, selected to join ANC NEC". IOL. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  21. ^ Khumalo, Juniour (13 January 2023). "ANC NEC co-opts Ramaphosa's parliamentary counsellor and former eThekwini mayor". News24. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  22. ^ Teke, Zohra (20 June 2024). "Fawzia Peer heads key BRICS Women in Business position". IOL. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Durban Deputy Mayor Fawzia Peer in a BDS Event: Apartheid Israel Will Tumble into Dust". MEMRI. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
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