John Gogotya

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John Gogotya
Member of the National Assembly
In office
June 1999 – May 2009
In office
May 1994 – March 1999
Personal details
Born
Ntsiza John Gogotya

(1938-07-02) 2 July 1938 (age 85)
CitizenshipSouth Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress (since March 1999)
Other political
affiliations

Ntsiza John Gogotya (born 2 July 1938) is a South African politician, businessman, and former minister who served in the National Assembly from 1994 to 2009. He represented the National Party (NP) until March 1999, when he defected to the African National Congress (ANC). He is known as the founder of the apartheid-era Federal Independent Democratic Alliance, a black moderate group which opposed majority rule in South Africa and which was later revealed to have been a client of military intelligence.

Early life and career

Gogotya was born on 2 July 1938.[1] He was a businessman and Christian minister in the former Transvaal.[2][3]

Apartheid-era political career

During apartheid, Gogotya, though black, was an outspoken opponent of proposals for multi-racial democracy on the principle of one man, one vote.[2] He organised on this basis first through Operation Advance and Upgrade, a Johannesburg-based organisation,[3] and from mid-1987 through the Federal Independent Democratic Alliance (FIDA).[2] In the former capacity, he visited Washington D. C. in 1986 to lobby congressmen against passing the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, arguing that divestment and sanctions harmed black South Africans.[3] He was also an opponent of the Congress-aligned United Democratic Front, which he said necklaced "black moderates like us",[2] and in 1985 he warned American press that the anti-apartheid African National Congress (ANC) had been "swallowed hook, line and sinker by the Communist Party".[3]

By 1990, South African liberals publicly alleged that FIDA was a front organisation for the apartheid government, an allegation denied by Gogotya.[2] In 1996, at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Bantu Holomisa claimed that there was evidence that Gogotya had been on the payroll of the South African Defence Force (SADF).[4] The commission ultimately found Holomisa's claim to be correct, concluding that FIDA had been established with funds from SADF's military intelligence division.[5]

Post-apartheid political career

In South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994, Gogotya was elected to the new National Assembly, representing the National Party (NP), the former governing party.[6] He defected to the ANC in late March 1999, ahead of that year's general election.[7][8] He subsequently served two further terms in the National Assembly on the ANC's ticket, gaining election in 1999[9] and 2004.[10] In October 1999, Gogotya was the target of an outburst during a parliamentary debate on rape: opposition politician Patricia de Lille, believing that Gogotya was among those heckling her while she read out messages from rape survivors, shouted that Gogotya "will be raped one day".[11][12]

Personal life

He is married to Wonkie Gogotya.[13]

References

  1. ^ "General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 408, no. 20203. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 11 June 1999. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e "The Uncle Tom freedom fighters" (PDF). Work In Progress. Vol. 70/71. 1990. Retrieved 21 April 2023 – via South African History Online.
  3. ^ a b c d "Two Black South African Ministers Oppose Disinvestment". AP News. 30 July 1986. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  4. ^ "De Klerk should account to truth body, says Holomisa". SAPA. 22 May 1996. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Motshekga's mentor was Dr Renamo". The Mail & Guardian. 23 January 1998. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Minutes of proceedings of the Constitutional Assembly" (PDF). Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. 24 May 1994. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  7. ^ "MacKenzie to ANC". The Mail & Guardian. 25 March 1999. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Defectors wheeled out to launch attacks on their former leaders". Cape Argus. 29 June 1999. Retrieved 21 April 2023 – via AllAfrica.
  9. ^ "General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 408, no. 20203. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 11 June 1999. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  10. ^ "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" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 466, no. 2677. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 20 April 2004. pp. 4–95. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Rape survivors get hearing in parliament". IOL. 26 October 1999. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  12. ^ "De Lille loses temper in rape debate". IOL. 27 October 1999. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Students take dispute with university to HRC". The Mail & Guardian. 2 March 2001. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
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