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Juanita Terblanche

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Juanita Terblanche
Shadow Minister of Home Affairs
In office
2009–2014
LeaderAthol Trollip
Helen Zille
Deputy Shadow Minister of Science and Technology
In office
2014–2017
LeaderHelen Zille
Mmusi Maimane
Preceded byManie van Dyk
Member of the National Assembly
In office
2009–2017
Permanent Delegate to the National Council of Provinces
In office
2004–2009
Personal details
Born14th of December, 1970
Potchefstroom
NationalitySouth African
Political partyDemocratic Alliance
SpouseReinier Terblanche
RelationsChris Hattingh (father)
Children3
ResidencePotchefstroom
Alma materPotchefstroom University

Johanna Fredrika Terblanche (née Hattingh, born 14 December 1970), popularly known as Juanita Terblanche, is a South African politician. Prior to 2017, she was a Member of Parliament with the Democratic Alliance and the Deputy Shadow Minister of Science and Technology.

Following her return to active politics in 2022, she was elected a branch chairperson of the party. She currently serves as a councillor of the JB Marks Local Municipality.

Early life and education

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Terblanche was born on 14 December 1970 to Chris and Ina Hattingh. Her father, a direct descendant of the Cape Colony free burgher Hans Heinrich Hattingh and his wife Susannah Visser,[1][2] was a Potchefstroom City Councillor before joining what is now the Democratic Alliance and becoming a member of the North West Provincial Legislature.[3] Her other ancestry includes descents from the Khoi interpreter Krotoa and the Boer statesman Paul Kruger.[4]

Career

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In 1998, Terblanche's father crossed the floor to the Democratic Party and she joined politics as an activist. She took part in the 1999 campaign that brought him to the provincial legislature, then won a by-election on the platform of the DP with 76% of the vote to become the party's only councillor. By 2001, Terblanche was again a Potchefstroom City Councillor, having won 82% of the vote in her ward the previous year for the then newly re-christened Democratic Alliance.[5] She also held office as caucus chair, and was the North West provincial secretary from 2000 until 2004.

In 2004, she was elected a member of the National Council of Provinces, where she was best known for passing a 2004 motion censuring Thabo Mbeki for his attitude to rape.[3] At the beginning of the term, Terblanche was elected as whip in the chamber.[3] During her time in the NCOP, she was temporarily ejected from the upper house for exclaiming in Afrikaans during a session.[6] Upon the completion of her term in the upper chamber, she then became the representative for the constituency of Ventersdorp/Tlokwe (Potchefstroom) in the National Assembly of South Africa, the country's lower house, in 2009.

From 2005 to 2006, she served as the first female Counsellor to the Leader of the Opposition, succeeding fellow MP Gareth Morgan. In 2009, she was the DA Home Affairs Spokesperson and again served as whip, this time in the lower house.[7] During her time at the Home Affairs department, she took part in the planning that preceded South Africa's hosting of the soccer world cup in 2010 and gave an interview following the ID card suicide.[8][9][10] Terblanche also spoke on behalf of her party and constituency in the wake of the murder of white supremacist leader Eugene Terre'Blanche (whom she is not related to).[11][12] In 2011, she was the Democratic Alliance's candidate for mayor of Potchefstroom.[13] She also issued a statement about the spate of farm attacks in South Africa in 2012. [14] Terblanche was the constituency leader for Tlokwe when the DA briefly took control of the municipality in 2013, a move she championed.

In June 2014, Terblanche was named as Deputy Spokesperson in the Science and Technology portfolio.[15] During her time with the department, her work included debating aspects of the Square Kilometer Array's South African location,[16] South Africa's then gestational Space program,[17] and the South African Indigenous Knowledge preservation and promotion bill.[18]

In 2014, charges were laid against Deputy Minister for Higher Education Mduduzi Manana for, among other things, "manhandling" Terblanche in a brawl in parliament.[19][20][21]

In 2015, she spoke out against the excessive use of force by the South African Police Service and praised the arrest of individuals that had been running an illegal initiation school.[22][23] In October of that year, Terblanche was expelled from the Democratic Alliance, along with Dianne Kohler Barnard. [24][25][26] The ANC called it a "public relations stunt."[27] Terblanche said the misconduct inquiry that led to her expulsion was "erroneous, misleading and defamatory" and said she would appeal to the High Court.[28]

She left parliament in 2017. Her membership of the Democratic Alliance was ultimately reinstated in February, 2022. She currently serves as one of the party's branch chairs in her native North West Province. Since 2024, she has also been a councillor in the JB Marks Local Municipality.

Honours

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Over the course of her career in politics, Terblanche was named as one of "the 200 young people that you should take to lunch" by the Mail and Guardian. She also received the Sunday Times award for "Upstart of the Year" and was further named as one of "the 100 young people that will make a difference in the next 10 years", again by the Mail and Guardian.[3]

Illness

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In April 2010, Terblanche was diagnosed with acoustic neuroma. She subsequently had the first of three corrective surgeries on July the 13th of that year.

After the three procedures were completed, some of the tumor remained due to both the nature of Terblanche's case in particular and the damage sustained during the final surgery.

She is currently continuing treatment.

Personal life

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Terblanche is married to the lepidopterist Reinier Terblanche. They have three children together.[28]

References

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  1. ^ "African Royal Families". Facebook. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  2. ^ Joanne Gibson. "SA wine history: On some of the 'invisible' people of early Cape wine". winemag.co.za. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Young South Africans: Politics". Mail & Guardian. 26 June 2008.
  4. ^ "African Royal Families". Facebook. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  5. ^ Dhlamini, Dan (21 April 2001). "I got a raw deal from the DA". CityPress.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Ag Siestog comment gets MP ejected". iol.co.za. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  7. ^ "S Africa probes ID card suicide". BBC News. 31 August 2009.
  8. ^ "Home Affairs". pmg.org.za. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  9. ^ ""Home Affairs must explain GijimaAst debacle" - DA". politicsweb.co.za. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Africa". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  11. ^ "South African far right leader killed". nbcnews.com. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  12. ^ "White supremacist's killing a "declaration of war"". smh.com.au. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  13. ^ "DA candidate's mother 'assaulted with blunt object'". News24. 26 April 2011.
  14. ^ "DA: "Government failing farmers". news24.com. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  15. ^ McLeod, Duncan (5 June 2014). "Shinn again to lead DA telecoms portfolio". Tech Central. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  16. ^ "Science and Technology". pmg.org.za. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  17. ^ "Science and Technology". pmg.org.za. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  18. ^ "Science and Technology". pmg.org.za. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  19. ^ "ANC: DA charges a publicity stunt". News24. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  20. ^ Dodds, Craig; Thakali, Thabiso; Cronje, Jan (15 November 2014). "Parliament to sizzle, vow opposition". IOL. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  21. ^ Cronje, Jan (15 November 2014). "DA MP hurt in Parliament fracas". IOL. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  22. ^ "DA: Juanita Terblanche says SAPS power display during arrests shows force instead of service towards community". polity.org.za. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  23. ^ "DA: Juanita Terblanche says DA asks protection for young boys". polity.org.za. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  24. ^ "DA kicks out Kohler Barnard, Terblanche". IOL. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  25. ^ "Dianne Kohler Barnard fired from the DA". eNCA. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  26. ^ "ANC labels Kohler Barnard's expulsion a 'public relations stunt'". eNCA. 31 October 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  27. ^ "ANC 'not moved' by Kohler Barnard expulsion". The Citizen. 31 October 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  28. ^ a b "Terblanche is fighting back". Potchefstroom Herald. 8 November 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
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