Mmabatho Tembe

Mmabatho Tembe is a South African politician who has served as the Deputy Speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature since June 2024. A member of the Democratic Alliance, she has served in the provincial legislature since December 2021. Tembe had previously served as a councillor in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.

Early life and education
Tembe was born and grew up in Durban. She matriculated from Queensburgh Girls' High School. Tembe graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal with a degree in Social Sciences majoring in Psychology and Anthropology before she graduated with an Honours degree in Counseling Psychology. She has also earned a certificate in project management from the University of Cape Town.

Career
Tembe worked as a research assistant to the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Durban University of Technology. She then became an Academic Development Advisor at the Health Sciences Department of the university.

Political career
Tembe joined the Democratic Alliance branch in Ward 33 in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in 2014. She was appointed secretary of the party's Central Durban constituency.

Tembe was elected a DA councillor in the eThekwini municipality in 2016. During her tenure as a councillor, she served on the economic development committee, before moving to the community safety committee where she was whip for two terms.

On 7 December 2021, Tembe was sworn in as a DA Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature. She filled the casual vacancy that arose after the resignation of Chris Pappas who was elected mayor of the uMngeni Local Municipality.

During a special sitting of the legislature held on 10 August 2022 to elect a new Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, the DA caucus nominated Tembe to contest the election against the ANC's candidate Nomusa Dube-Ncube. Dube-Ncube defeated Tembe by a margin of 45 to 11 votes.

Tembe was elected deputy speaker of the provincial legislature following the 2024 provincial election.