Rhoda Southgate
{{Short description|South African politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| party = {{plainlist|
| office1 = Member of the National Assembly
| termstart1 = June 1999
| termend1 = April 2004
| citizenship = South Africa
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|12|28|df=yes}}
| constituency1 = Western Cape
| spouse = Kevin Southgate
}}
Rhoda May Southgate (born 28 December 1960) is a South African politician who represented the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2004, serving the Western Cape constituency. After leaving Parliament, she co-founded the short-lived Federation of Democrats (FD) with Louis Green and her husband, Kevin Southgate.
Legislative career
Southgate was born on 28 December 1960.{{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}} In the 1999 general election, she was elected to represent the ACDP in the National Assembly, serving the Western Cape constituency. During the legislative term, she was a member of the parliamentary delegation that observed the 2002 Zimbabwean presidential election; Southgate deviated from the government's position in telling Parliament that her conscience prevented her from endorsing the election as free and fair.{{Cite web |date=19 March 2002 |title=Three SA parties slam Zim poll |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/three-sa-parties-slam-zim-poll-20020319 |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}
She was also a spokesman for the ACDP.{{Cite news |date=11 April 2000 |title=Parties demand probe into Cronje scandal |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/sport/parties-demand-probe-into-cronje-scandal-337461 |access-date=28 April 2023}} In a 2003 parliamentary debate, she caused a stir by gagging herself during her allotted speaking time in a protest against parliamentary rules; she said that the rules had "systematically silenced the ACDP", a minor party, insofar as speaking time was allotted in proportion to parties' electoral support.{{Cite news |date=28 February 2003 |title=ACDP has 'the right to remain silent' |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/acdp-has-the-right-to-remain-silent-102182 |access-date=28 April 2023}}
Federation of Democrats
Southgate was not returned to Parliament in the 2004 general election. During the legislative term that followed, she and her husband Kevin, a former provincial legislator, founded a new opposition party, the FD.{{Cite news |date=13 September 2005 |title=Jiyane in bid to unite opposition |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/jiyane-in-bid-to-unite-opposition-253337 |access-date=28 April 2023}}{{Cite web |date=2007-08-16 |title=Floor show about to begin |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-08-17-floor-show-about-to-begin/ |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} The party gained representation in the National Assembly when Louis Green, another ACDP member, crossed the floor in September 2007. Green said that he was leaving the ACDP for the FD as "a matter of principle", because he believed that the Southgates had been mistreated by ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe.{{Cite news |date=15 July 2007 |title=It's floor-crossing time again |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/its-floor-crossing-time-again-362037 |access-date=28 April 2023}} Southgate's husband became the chairman of the FD and Green became party leader; Southgate herself served as Green's personal assistant.{{Cite web |date=2008-10-14 |title=FD in Parliament |url=http://www.federationofdemocrats.co.za/parliament.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014013142/http://www.federationofdemocrats.co.za/parliament.asp |archive-date=2008-10-14 |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=Federation of Democrats}}
Ahead of the 2009 general election, the FD entered into talks with the Christian Democratic Party and other small conservative parties, leading ultimately to the formation of the Christian Democratic Alliance.{{Cite web |date=2007-08-30 |title=Crosstitutes divide opposition, add nothing |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2007-08-31-crosstitutes-divide-opposition-add-nothing/ |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} Southgate stood for election under the alliance's banner, but she was ranked low on the party list{{Cite web |date=6 April 2009 |title=2009 National and Provincial Election candidate lists |url=https://www.elections.org.za/content/uploadedFiles/2009%20National%20and%20Provincial%20Election%20candidate%20lists.pdf?n=9151 |access-date=28 April 2023 |website=Electoral Commission}} and the alliance did not in any case win any seats.