Athol Trollip

Athol Trollip
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Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 May 2015
Preceded by	Wilmot James
Member of Provincial Legislature in the Eastern Cape
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 June 2013
Personal details
Born	12 March 1964 Bedford, Eastern Cape
Political party	Democratic Alliance

Athol Trollip (born 12 March 1964) is a South African politician, who has served as member of the National Assembly and as a member of the Provincial Legislature of the Eastern Cape Province, for the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA). He served as Parliamentary Leader of the opposition between 2009 and 2011, for the DA. He is also the leader of the DA in the Eastern Cape.

Background

Trollip was born in the town of Bedford in the Eastern Cape, and he attended Woodridge College.

Career in politics

Trollip joined the liberal Progressive Federal Party in 1980. His political career began in earnest when he became a municipal councillor for the PFP:s successor, the Democratic Party, in 1995. He was elected as provincial chairperson in 1998 and then as the renamed DA's leader in the Eastern Cape in 2002, a position he still holds. Trollip served as a Member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature between 1999 and 2009.

He unsuccessfully ran for party leader against Helen Zille in 2007.

In 2009 Trollip became a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly and after winning a leadership contest against Ryan Coetzee assumed the position of Parliamentary Leader of the DA. On 27 October 2011, Trollip was defeated in his bid for re-election as Parliamentary Leader of the DA by fellow MP Lindiwe Mazibuko. He later left the National Assembly to return to the Eastern Cape Legislature in 2013, and was the DA's premier candidate in the Eastern Cape province for the 2014 general election. During this time, Trollip was involved with Helen Zille in welcoming King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo into the DA, despite his conviction on serious criminal charges, stating that he was 'proud' to do so. Dalindyebo was subsequently expelled from the DA when the conviction was upheld on appeal.

In 2015, Trollip returned to national prominence within the DA. On 13 April he was announced as the DA candidate for Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality in the 2016 Local Government Elections, and was also elected as the Federal Chairperson of the DA at the party's Federal Congress in may.

In 2016, Trollip was referred to the South African Human Rights Commission for alleged human rights abuses and unfair labour practices at the family farm, allegations that he strenuously denied. The HRC later abandoned the case.