Nico de Jager
{{Short description|South African politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Nico de Jager
| honorific-suffix = MPL
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| office = Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature
| term_start = 18 February 2021
| term_end =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| office1 = Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environmental and Infrastructure Services in the City of Johannesburg
| term_start1 = 14 February 2017
| term_end1 = 27 November 2019
| predecessor1 = Anthony Still
| successor1 = Mpho Moerane
| office2 = Councillor – City of Johannesburg
| term_start2 = 2005
| term_end2 = 2021
| birthname = Nicolaas Mattheus de Jager
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = South African
| party = Democratic Alliance
| otherparty =
| spouse =
| partner =
| relations =
| children =
| residence =
| education = Langenhoven High School
| occupation =
| profession =
| known_for =
| committees =
| awards =
| website =
}}
Nicolaas Mattheus de Jager, known as Nico de Jager, is a South African politician and a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature for the Democratic Alliance (DA). He previously served as the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environmental and Infrastructure Services in the City of Johannesburg under Mayor Herman Mashaba from 2017 to 2019 and as a city councillor from 2005 to 2021.
Education
De Jager attended Langenhoven High School in Riversdale, Western Cape. He holds formal qualifications in public administration and economics.
Political career
After the 2000 municipal elections, De Jager went on to become the branch chairperson of the Democratic Alliance's Thabeni branch in Johannesburg. He became a DA PR councillor in 2005.{{cite news |last1=Cox |first1=Anna |title=Mashaba makes first cut in mayoral committee |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/mashaba-makes-first-cut-in-mayoral-committee-7752244 |access-date=7 July 2021 |newspaper=Independent Online |date=14 February 2017 |location=Johannesburg}} De Jager was the DA's Shadow Mayoral Committee Member for Transport in the city.{{cite news |last1=Boyce |first1=Aphiwe |title=City dismisses 'mischievous' DA claims |url=https://midrandreporter.co.za/140531/city-dismisses-mischievous-da-claims/ |access-date=7 July 2021 |newspaper=Midrand Reporter |date=6 November 2015 |location=Johannesburg|quote=DA Shadow MMC for Transport, Nico de Jager, had claimed...}} In September 2016, he was elected chairperson of the city's Section 79 Transport committee.
In February 2017, De Jager was appointed as the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environmental and Infrastructure Services, replacing Anthony Still.{{cite news |title=Mashaba fires MMC for 'soft' stance on City Power |url=https://www.enca.com/south-africa/mashaba-fires-environment-and-infrastructure-mmc-anthony-sill |access-date=7 July 2021 |agency=eNCA |date=14 February 2017}} He served until November 2019, when mayor Herman Mashaba resigned.{{cite web| url = https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/herman-mashaba-latest-news-resigns-why-who-replacement-what-next/| title = Herman Mashaba quits as Johannesburg Mayor - what happens now?| date = 21 October 2019}}
De Jager was sworn in as a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on 18 February 2021.{{Cite tweet |user= GPLegislature|number=1362421386782908421 |title=The Hon. Speaker Ntombi Mekgwe, will preside over the swearing-in of new Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) today. Hon. Bronwynn Anne Engelbrecht & Honourable Nico de Jager will be sworn in at 17h00.}}
In April 2021, De Jager denounced Castro Ntobeko, an African National Congress member and employee of the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, for celebrating the death of four gay men and called for his immediate suspension.{{cite news |last1=Head |first1=Tom |title=Gauteng ANC member blasted for 'celebrating' murder of gay men |url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/what-tweet-gauteng-cogta-homophobic-gay-men-murdered-castro-ntobeko/ |access-date=7 July 2021 |newspaper=The South African |date=23 April 2021}}
He said in May 2021 that the DA opposed the renaming of William Nicol Drive to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive because of the timing due to the impacts of COVID-19 on businesses in the area and not because of the name itself.{{cite news |last1=Ho Hip |first1=Chante' |title=William Nicol renaming process in progress |url=https://fourwaysreview.co.za/370603/william-nicol-renaming-process-in-progress/ |access-date=7 July 2021 |agency=Fourways Review |date=3 May 2021}}
De Jager criticised the ANC in June 2021 during Pride Month for refusing to fly the Rainbow flag at the Johannesburg City council.{{cite news |last1=Head |first1=Tom |title=ANC slammed for 'refusing' to fly Pride Flag at Johannesburg Council |url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/anc-fly-pride-flag-johannesburg-council/ |access-date=7 July 2021 |newspaper=The South African |date=25 June 2021}}
Personal life
De Jager is gay. He was one of a number of gay DA councillors in Johannesburg when he was still a councillor.{{cite news |title=RECORD GAY PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES FOR DA |url=https://www.mambaonline.com/2009/02/25/record-gay-parliamentary-candidates-for-da/ |access-date=7 July 2021 |agency=MambaOnline |date=25 February 2009}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|nicolaas-mattheus-de-jager|Mr Nicolaas Mattheus De Jager}}
- {{Twitter|NicoDeJager64}}
{{Gauteng MPLs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Jager, Nico}}
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:University of South Africa alumni
Category:Democratic Alliance (South Africa) politicians
Category:Members of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature