Makashule Gana

Makashule Gana (born 11 August 1983) is a South African politician, and currently a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature for the opposition Democratic Alliance. He was previously a member national parliament, where he served as Shadow Minister of Human Settlements between 2014 and 2016. Gana also served as the Deputy Federal Chairperson of the DA until 2015.^[1] Formerly leader of the DA Youth and DA councillor in the City of Johannesburg,^[2] he holds a BSc degree and is currently registered for a Postgraduate Diploma in Management at the Wits Business School.^[3]

Childhood and education

Gana was born in Lefara Village, Tzaneen, on 11 August 1983. He has two siblings and was raised by his late mother, Gavaza. Growing up in rural Tzaneen, Gana was a herd boy. He started primary school at Mushoti Primary in 1988. He attended N'wahungani Junior Secondary in 1995 and thereafter moved schools a few times. He moved to Lefara School in July 1996, before moving to DZJ Secondary School in 1996. Gana completed his matric at Giyani High School in 1999.

In 2000, Gana enrolled for his undergraduate degree at the then University of the North (now known as the University of Limpopo), where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 2003, with majors in mathematics and computer science. He graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from Wits Business School in 2012.

Political life

Gana joined the South African Students Congress at the University of Limpopo (then University of the North) in 2000, his first year at university. Two years later, in 2002, he joined the Democratic Alliance (DA) and DA Youth. He was elected Limpopo Provincial Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance Students Organization in 2003^[4] and moved to Johannesburg in 2005, where he continued to be very active in the DA and DA Youth.

Gana was elected Branch Youth Chairperson for the Johannesburg Innercity in 2006 and became DA Youth Chairperson for the Johannesburg Central Constituency in 2007.^[5] He participated in the DA Young Leaders programme in 2008, and was elected Gauteng South DA Youth Chairperson in 2008.^[6]

Gana became a DA city councillor in June 2009 when he was elected to the Johannesburg Metropolitan Council, and became DA Youth Federal Leader in July 2010. He was elected as one of the three Deputy Federal Chairpersons of the Democratic Alliance in 2012. As a result of this, he decided to step down as Youth Leader in May 2013 and was succeeded by Mbali Ntuli. He was elected to parliament for the DA in 2014, and served as the Shadow Minister of Human Settlements until November 2016, when he left the National Assembly to fill a DA vacancy in the Gauteng Legislature. His move is part of a broader strategy to win the province in the 2019 elections.^[7]

Gana has been active in campaigning for a national youth subsidy in South Africa, and helped to establish a DA political school with fellow leader Khume Ramulifho in Gauteng’s southern region.^[8]

References