Solly Msimanga

Solly Tshepiso Msimanga (born 16 July 1980) is a South African politician serving as the Leader of the Opposition in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature since May 2019.

Msimanga first joined the DA in 2006.

After having attended a DA event, he wrote to the party criticising its campaign approach and was soon offered a staff position by the party's CEO, Ryan Coetzee.

He eventually began rising through the ranks of the party.

In May 2011, he was elected to the Tshwane City Council, and in the same year, he became the leader of the DA's Gauteng North region.

In May 2014, Msimanga was elected as a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

He was appointed the party's provincial spokesperson for sports and served on the Education and Economic Development Portfolio Committees in the legislature.

In November 2014, he succeeded Michael Moriarty as DA Provincial Chairperson, after Moriarty had stood down.

In September 2015, Msimanga was announced as the DA's mayoral candidate for the City of Tshwane in the 2016 municipal elections.

He defeated Brandon Topham and Bronwyn Engelbrecht for the nomination.

The DA emerged as the largest party after the election, but without a majority.

By forming a coalition with several smaller parties, and with the support of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Msimanga was elected unopposed as the Executive Mayor of Tshwane.

He was the first DA member to hold the post.

When he was elected Mayor, he stated his intention to outlaw blue-lights brigades in the City — for everyone except the President.

“The only VIPs in the City will be the residents of the City,” he said.

Msimanga was the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality from 2016 to 2019 and the DA Provincial Chairperson from 2014 to 2017.

He is currently the Democratic Alliance's Gauteng Premier candidate for the 2024 elections.

In November 2017, Moriarty succeeded Msimanga as DA Provincial Chairperson at the party's Provincial Congress, after Msimanga took the decision to not run for re-election.

In March 2018, Msimanga declared himself a candidate for the position of Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance ahead of the party's Federal Congress.

On 8 April 2018, he lost to incumbent Athol Trollip.

In May 2018, it was revealed that Msimanga's chief of staff Marietha Aucamp had been dishonest about her qualifications.

She was placed on special leave on 16 May 2018.

She resigned on 17 May 2018.

In June 2018, an inquiry found that she had misrepresented her qualifications.

It also found that her appointment was unlawful.

In August 2018, both the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and African National Congress (ANC) had tabled motions of no confidence to remove Msimanga as Mayor.

On 30 August 2018, Tshwane Council Speaker Katlego Mathebe declined to proceed with the EFF's motion of no confidence because it did not comply with the council's rules.

The EFF subsequently staged a walkout out of the council chamber.

The party's caucus leader said that it would not support the ANC's motion.

Due to the lack of support, the ANC withdrew its motion.

On 27 September 2018, he survived another motion of no confidence tabled by the ANC.

He has been a Member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature since February 2019, having previously served from 2014 to 2016.

Msimanga was the party's unsuccessful candidate for the 2019 elections.

Solly Tshepiso Msimanga was born in Atteridgeville, a township west of Pretoria.

He attended Isaac Moré Primary School, Patogeng Higher Primary and Saulridge High School.

He obtained a national diploma in marketing management and a BCompt from the University of Pretoria.

Msimanga worked with Project Literacy and was enlisted at the Liberian embassy at one stage.

Later on, he was employed by the United States embassy.

He had been a national director for Legal Education And Development.

He also held multiple senior management positions in the private sector.