Mervyn Dirks

Mervyn Alexander Dirks is a South African politician serving as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa for the African National Congress (ANC). He became an MP in 2014 and is currently the ANC's chief whip in the Standing Committee of Public Accounts. Dirks was previously a municipal councillor of the Msunduzi Local Municipality where he served as the deputy mayor.

The Honourable

Mervyn Dirks

MP
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Assumed office
21 May 2014
Personal details
Born
Mervyn Alexander Dirks
NationalitySouth African
Political partyAfrican National Congress
OccupationMember of Parliament
ProfessionPolitician
CommitteesStanding Committee on Public Accounts

Early life

He grew up in the previous Transkei bantustan. He had to use a passport to cross the Umzimkulu River to attend school in the former Natal Province. He soon completed matric.[1]

Political career

Dirks began his political activism by participating in the Happy Valley rent boycotts. He joined the United Democratic Front in the 1980s and became the organisation's head organiser in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal.[1] In 1995, Dirks was elected a municipal councillor of the Pietermaritzburg municipality. Following the 2006 municipal election, he became a member of the executive committee of the Msunduzi Local Municipality as he was the deputy mayor. He served in the position until 2010 when the ANC recalled the municipal leadership.[2] Dirks was elected an MP following the 2014 general election. He assumed the office on 21 May 2014. The following year, Dirks was elected to the provincial executive committee of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal. He was re-elected to a second term as MP in May 2019 and became the chief whip of the ANC in the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.[3]

Controversies

In 2017, Dirks attempted to disrupt a parliamentary debate regarding state capture.[4] In August of the same year, he showed middle finger to the opposition MPs. He did it again on 30 November,[5] after he called opposition MP Phumzile van Damme a "prostitute".[6] On the same day, he also threatened fellow ANC MP Thozama Mantashe, younger sister of senior party politician Gwede Mantashe.[7] ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu condemned his actions.[8]

In September 2017, The Witness reported that Dirks had an outstanding municipal debt over R60,000.[9] Later, in 2019, Dirks was referred to the parliamentary Ethics Committee after he called certain MPs "dogs".[10]

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References
  1. "Blog: Mervyn Alexander Dirks (ANC)". People's Assembly. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  2. "New team to 'return Msunduzi to former glory'". IOL. 26 March 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2020. Former mayor Zanele Hlatshwayo, her deputy Mervin Dirks and another exco member and Themba Zungu were given the boot for the municipality's poor performance.
  3. Gerber, Jan (21 June 2016). "IFP's Mkhuleko Hlengwa set to become Scopa chair". News24. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  4. Mokone, Thabo (29 November 2017). "Pro-Zuma MPs fail to quash state capture debate". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  5. Ndou, Clive (4 December 2017). "ANC MP Dirks apologises for showing finger in Parliament". The Witness. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  6. van Niekerk, Garreth (1 December 2017). "Phumzile van Damme: Mervyn Dirks Called Me A 'Straatm**d'". HuffPost. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  7. "Mantashe's younger sister explains what happened in altercation with ANC MP". The Citizen. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  8. Gerber, Jan (1 December 2017). "ANC MP Dirks' behaviour is 'despicable' - Mthembu". News24. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  9. Pillay, Kailene (15 September 2017). "Outrage over Dirks' R60 000 City bill". The Witness. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  10. Makinana, Andiswe (2 April 2019). "ANC MP Mervyn Dirks in the dog box again - for social media slur". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
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