Leon Basson

Leonard Jones Basson (born 8 April 1960) is a South African politician, a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Democratic Alliance and the DA's provincial leader in the North West. Before being elected unopposed to this position on 21 November 2020, Basson had served as the deputy provincial leader from 2017 to 2020. He held various posts in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet of South Africa, including serving as the Shadow Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation between 2014 and 2017, as the Shadow Minister of Water and Sanitation from 2017 to 2019, as the Shadow Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation from 2019 to 2020, and as the Shadow Minister of Water & Sanitation from 2020 until 2024.

Background
Basson has been a resident of Brits in the North West since 1976. He is married to Daleen, and they have three children and six grandchildren. Basson served on the governing body of Pansdrif Primary School for 10 years and was the chairperson for six years. He was also a member of the governing body of Hoërskool Brits for 12 years, serving as the chairperson for nine years.

Political career
Basson is a member of the Democratic Alliance (formerly the Democratic Party). In 1995, he was elected as a councillor for Madibeng. He remained a councillor until his election to the National Assembly in the 2014 general election. The DA parliamentary leader, Mmusi Maimane, appointed him as Shadow Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation. He was promoted to Shadow Minister of Water and Sanitation in 2017. Also in 2017, Basson was elected as the deputy leader of the DA in the North West. He is also the DA's constituency head of Madibeng.

He was re-elected to Parliament in May 2019. Maimane then appointed him as Shadow Minister for the newly created Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation portfolio.

On 21 November 2020, Basson was elected unopposed as the DA's provincial leader in the North West, succeeding Joe McGluwa, who stood down. In the following days, he was appointed as Shadow Minister of Water and Sanitation by John Steenhuisen.

In April 2021, Basson opposed the deployment of 24 Cuban engineers to assist the Department of Water and Sanitation in addressing South Africa's water crisis and called on Minister Lindiwe Sisulu to reverse the deployment and to rather employ South African engineers.

Following the suspension of former premier Supra Mahumapelo's ANC membership in late-April 2021, Basson said that "the suspension comes more than ten years too late" and that the North West Province "would have been in a better position today if Supra Mahumapelo never happened."

Basson was re-elected for a second term as provincial leader at the DA's provincial conference on 29 July 2023.

In the 2024 general election, Basson was re-elected to the National Assembly for his third term. He was elected to chair to the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation in July 2024.