Carol Johnson (South African politician)
{{Short description|South African politician (born 1972)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| party = {{plainlist|
- African National Congress (since 2005)
- New National Party (until 2005)}}
| office1 = Member of the National Assembly
| termstart1 = 23 April 2004
| termend1 = May 2009
| citizenship = South Africa
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|07|04|df=yes}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Willie Aucamp|2004|2004|reason=div.}}
}}
Carol Beatrix Johnson (born 4 July 1972) is a South African politician who served in the National Assembly from 2004 to 2009. She was the spin doctor of the New National Party (NNP) until September 2005, when she crossed the floor to join the African National Congress (ANC).
Political career
Johnson was born on 4 July 1972. She was the national spokesman and spin doctor for the NNP in the early 2000s and was viewed as one of the "top lieutenants" of party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk.{{Cite news |date=9 August 2004 |title=Love persuades right-winger to join ANC |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/love-persuades-right-winger-to-join-anc-219215 |access-date=11 April 2023}} In the 2004 general election, she was elected to an NNP seat in the National Assembly, representing the Western Cape constituency.{{cite magazine |date=20 April 2004 |title=General Notice: Notice 717 of 2004 - Electoral Commission – List of Names of Representatives in the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures in Respect of the Elections Held on 14 April 2004 |url=https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/262770.pdf |magazine=Government Gazette of South Africa |location=Pretoria, South Africa |publisher=Government of South Africa |volume=466 |issue=2677 |pages=4–95 |access-date=26 March 2021}} During the election period, she told the Guardian that the NNP would "be around for a long time to come".{{Cite news |last=Carroll |first=Rory |date=2004-04-16 |title=Apartheid's heirs buried by ANC's landslide victory |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/apr/16/southafrica.rorycarroll |access-date=2023-04-11 |issn=0261-3077}}
However, when van Schalkwyk announced in August 2004 that he intended to join the ANC, Johnson said that she would follow him: she, van Schalkwyk, and six other NNP members announced that they intended to defect from the party to the ANC during the next floor-crossing period.{{Cite web |date=2004-10-28 |title=Eight NNP MPs to defect to ANC |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2004-10-28-eight-nnp-mps-to-defect-anc/ |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} She officially remained an NNP member until 1 September 2005, when, at the outset of the 2005 floor-crossing window, she formally joined the ANC.{{Cite web |date=2009-01-15 |title=National Assembly Members |url=http://www.pmg.org.za/parlinfo/nalist#_ftnref87 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514071402/http://www.pmg.org.za/parlinfo/nalist#_ftnref87 |archive-date=14 May 2009 |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=Parliamentary Monitoring Group}} She left her seat after the 2009 general election.
Personal life
Johnson married politician Willie Aucamp, the son of Cassie Aucamp, on 10 July 2004 in the Stellenbosch Dutch Reformed Church. Their marriage followed a "whirlwind romance" that began on election night in April 2004.{{Cite web |last=Joubert |first=Jan-Jan |date=14 September 2004 |title='Golden couple' hit the rocks |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/golden-couple-hit-the-rocks-20040913 |access-date=2023-04-11 |website=News24 |language=en-US}} When Johnson left the NNP, Aucamp left his own party, Nasionale Aksie, to join the ANC with her. She filed for divorce shortly afterwards in September 2004.{{Cite web |last=Louw |first=Nicolene |date=15 September 2004 |title=Aucamp's past catching up? |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/aucamps-past-catching-up-20040915 |access-date=2023-04-11 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Malan |first=Marlene |date=19 September 2004 |title=Money behind break-up |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/money-behind-break-up-20040919 |access-date=2023-04-11 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}