Doris Dlakude

Doris Eunice Dlakude (born 16 August 1969), sometimes also spelled Dorris or Dorries, is a South African politician from Mpumalanga. She is currently serving as the Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party in the National Assembly. She was appointed to that position in June 2013, representing the African National Congress, and she has been a Member of Parliament since February 2010.

Early life and education
Born on 16 August 1969, Dlakude matriculated at Mjokwane Senior Secondary School in Komatipoort in the former Eastern Transvaal. She has an Honours degree in governance and leadership from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Early political career
Dlakude held a variety of positions in her political party, the African National Congress (ANC); she was regional treasurer of the ANC Youth League in Ehlanzeni, served on the Provincial Executive Committee of the ANC and ANC Women's League in Mpumalanga, and spent six terms as the secretary of her local ANC branch. She joined the National Assembly on 9 February 2010, filling the casual vacancy caused by Nomatyala Hangana's resignation.

Deputy Chief Whip: 2013–present
On 20 June 2013, the ANC announced that Dlakude would take office as Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party; she deputised Stone Sizani, who was also newly appointed, and replaced Mmamoloko Kubayi, who had been acting in the position. Both Sizani and Dlakude were reappointed after the 2014 general election, but Sizani resigned on 2 March 2016; Dlakude subsequently acted as Chief Whip until Jackson Mthembu was appointed to the position three weeks later.

During this period, Dlakude served on the ad hoc parliamentary committee established to respond to Nkandlagate. She defended President Jacob Zuma during the committee's debates, but she and Kubayi also drew media attention in July 2016 for being photographed painting their nails during the committee's proceedings.

After the 2019 general election, Pemmy Majodina was appointed as Chief Whip and Dlakude stayed on as her deputy. John Steenhuisen, the leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance, said that he thought the ANC "missed a trick in Doris Dlakude... who would have made an excellent chief whip".

Personal life
She is married to Vusi Dlakude, who appeared in the Nkomazi Magistrate's Court on a perjury charge, accused of faking a hijacking, in January 2018. She owns a funeral parlour.