Anton Wilhelm Bredell (born 26 April 1965) is a South African politician for the Democratic Alliance. He is the current Western Cape Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning and a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.[1]
Anton Bredell | |
|---|---|
| Western Cape Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning | |
| Assumed office 7 May 2009 | |
| Premier | Alan Winde Helen Zille |
| Preceded by | Pierre Uys |
| Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2009 | |
| Deputy Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance | |
| Assumed office 1 November 2020 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Anton Wilhelm Bredell 26 April 1965 |
| Nationality | South African |
| Political party | Democratic Alliance |
| Occupation | Politician |
Biography
editAnton Bredell studied Marketing and Sales Management after finishing high school. He received the title of Marketing Person of the year in 1996.[2]
Political career
editBredell became involved in politics in the town of Darling. He served as a municipal councillor prior to his advancement to the post of Deputy Mayor of Darling Transitional Council. Later on, he assumed the position of Mayor of the Swartland Municipality.[3]
Bredell was elected to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in May 2009, and Premier Helen Zille appointed him as Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning.[4]
In May 2019, newly elected Premier Alan Winde kept Bredell in his position.[5]
Bredell is the longest serving Provincial Minister for any portfolio in the Western Cape Government. As Provincial Minister for Local Government, he has been uncompromising when it comes to ensuring the thirty municipalities in the province are well managed. In 2019 the province boasted with 25 unqualified audits. In addition twelve councils were awarded clean audit status by the Auditor General of South Africa, up from zero in 2009 when Bredell had been appointed to the position.[6]
In 2020, Bredell was elected as one of three deputy federal chairpersons of the DA.[7]
In October 2021, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane found that Bredell had breached the Executive Code of Ethics over his failure to act against officials, who committed fraud and corruption at the Oudtshoorn Local Municipality. Mkhwebane also found Premier Winde guilty of breaching the code.[8][9]
Bredell was re-elected for a second term as a deputy federal chairperson of the DA at the party's Federal Congress in 2023.[10]
Bredell was re-elected to the Provincial Parliament in the 2024 provincial election. Alan Winde named his new provincial cabinet on 13 June 2024 which saw Bredell remain as the Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning.[11]
Controversies
editBredell has been involved in several controversies since 2019. The MEC had been found to be in breach of the Executive Ethics Code by the Public Protector who "found Bredell’s conduct was improper and constituted a direct conflict between his official responsibilities as the MEC responsible for local government and his private interests as the Western Cape provincial chairperson of the DA at the time."[12] The report states that " that the MEC’s intention was to achieve political advantage for the DA, instead of acting in accordance with the constitutional imperative of assisting the municipality as the MEC responsible for local government in the Western Cape province.[12][13] A Western Cape judge slated Bredell's actions in Kannaland as “unlawful and unconstitutional.”[14] Bredell was found to have breached his Executive Ethics Code again when he wrongfully sought to ensure that the DA’s preferred candidate was appointed instead of the candidate selected through the municipal selection process, is one of a number of similar complaints that have been submitted for investigation.[15]
References
edit- ^ People's Assembly profile. Retrieved on 11 June 2019.
- ^ Meet the Minister, Western Cape Government. Retrieved on 11 June 2019.
- ^ ANTON BREDELL APPOINTED AS MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING, Western Cape Government. Retrieved on 11 June 2019.
- ^ Appointment of the Western Cape Provincial Cabinet. Retrieved on 11 June 2019.
- ^ Winde names new Western Cape cabinet, News24, 23 May 2019. Retrieved on 11 June 2019.
- ^ "Western Cape Government welcomes Audit outcomes".
- ^ "John Steenhuisen beats Mbali Ntuli to become new DA leader". TimesLIVE. 1 November 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ "Public protector finds Western Cape MEC Anton Bredell guilty of breaching Code of Ethics". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ "Western Cape MEC in breach of Executive Code of Ethics, says public protector". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ "Steenhuisen to lead DA in 'crucial' 2024 elections - LNN". Midrand Reporter. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
- ^ "Premier Winde announces his new Cabinet". Western Cape Government. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Public Protector finds WC Premier and MEC in breach of the executive ethics code".
- ^ MEC Bredell Formal report pprotect.org
- ^ "Bredell 'notes' Kannaland judgment but stands by his actions".
- ^ "OPINIONISTA: The DA's cadre deployment in the Western Cape is no different to the ANC's nationally". 14 February 2021.