Lerumo Kalako

{{Short description|South African politician (born 1955)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| party = African National Congress

| office1 =

| termstart1 = June 1999

| termend1 = June 2009

| office = Member of the National Assembly

| termstart = 21 May 2014

| termend = 7 May 2019

| constituency = Western Cape

| citizenship = South Africa

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|12|12|df=yes}}

| birth_name = Mziwamadoda Uppington Kalako

}}

Mziwamadoda Uppington "Lerumo" Kalako (born 12 December 1955) is a South African politician who represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2009 and from 2014 to 2019. He was elected in the 1999 general election{{cite magazine |date=11 June 1999 |title=General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures |url=https://gazettes.africa/archive/za/1999/za-government-gazette-dated-1999-06-11-no-20203.pdf |magazine=Government Gazette of South Africa |location=Pretoria, South Africa |publisher=Government of South Africa |volume=408 |issue=20203 |pages= |access-date=26 March 2021}} and re-elected in 2004.{{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}} After a hiatus from the legislature, he returned in the 2014 general election, ranked second on the ANC's provincial party list for the Western Cape.{{Cite web |title=Mziwamadoda Uppington Kalako |url=http://www.pa.org.za/person/mziwamadoda-uppington-kalako/ |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=People's Assembly |language=en}} He also served as the ANC's whip in the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies from 2014 to 2015.{{Cite web |date=12 June 2014 |title=New Appointments For The Fifth Parliament |url=https://www.ancparliament.org.za/content/new-appointments-fifth-parliament |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=ANC Parliamentary Caucus}}

During apartheid, Kalako was imprisoned on Robben Island for eight years between 1978 and 1986.{{Cite web |title=Mziwamadoda Uppington Kalako |url=https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/mziwamadoda-uppington-kalako |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=South African History Online}} During the first democratic Parliament, he was a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament and served as the Western Cape's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Environmental Affairs, Nature Conservation and Tourism.{{Cite book |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/13429370/south-africa-campaign-and-election-report-april-26- |title=South Africa: Campaign and Election Report April 26–29, 1994 |publisher=International Republican Institute |year=1994 |access-date=13 April 2023 |via=Yumpu}}

Following the disbandment of the ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) in the Western Cape in August 2019, Kalako was appointed convenor of the Interim Provincial Committee tasked with preparing the provincial structure for a provincial elective conference.{{Cite web |last=Felix |first=Jason |title=Lerumo Kalako to lead interim ANC PEC in Western Cape |url=https://ewn.co.za/2019/08/15/lerumo-kalako-to-lead-interim-anc-pec-in-western-cape |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=ewn.co.za |language=en}} After nearly four years in the position, the ANC in the Western Cape held its provincial conference in June 2023 where Kalako was expected to stand for the position of provincial chairperson, however, he declined the nomination.{{Cite web |last=Isaacs |first=Lauren |title=ANC interim WC committee convenor Kalako explains why he declined his nomination |url=https://ewn.co.za/2023/06/26/anc-interim-wc-committee-convenor-kalako-explains-why-he-declined-his-nomination |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=ewn.co.za |language=en}} His ally, Vuyiso JJ Tyhalisisu, was nominated from the conference floor and won the election for provincial chairman.{{Cite web |last=Macupe |first=Bongekile |title=Tyhalisisu is the main man as ANC in the Western Cape finally elects new leadership |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/politics/tyhalisisu-is-the-main-man-as-anc-in-the-western-cape-finally-elects-new-leadership-20230625 |access-date=2023-06-26 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}