Siviwe Gwarube

Siviwe Gwarube (born 14 July 1989) is a South African politician who is currently serving as Minister of Basic Education since July 2024. A member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), she was the Chief Whip of the Official Opposition between August 2022 and June 2024. She joined the National Assembly of South Africa in the May 2019 general election.

Born in the Eastern Cape, Gwarube entered politics in 2012 as a spokesperson for DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko. During the Sixth Parliament, before her appointment as the DA's Chief Whip, she served as Shadow Minister of Health from June 2019 to February 2022, national spokesperson of the DA from November 2020 to August 2022, and Deputy Chief Whip from December 2021 to August 2022.

Early life and career
Born on 14 July 1989, Gwarube grew up in KwaMdingi, a village outside King William's Town in the former Cape Province. She was raised by her grandmother, who was an unmarried teacher. After matriculating at the Kingsridge High School for Girls in King William's Town, she studied law, politics, and philosophy at Rhodes University in Grahamstown. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 2012.

In her final year as a student, Gwarube was recruited into the Democratic Alliance (DA) Young Leaders Programme. In the programme she met Lindiwe Mazibuko, the Leader of the Opposition, who became her mentor. In January 2012, shortly after graduating, Gwarube moved to Cape Town to begin work as a spokesperson in Mazibuko's office. Thereafter she moved to the Western Cape Department of Health, where she was a spokesperson and head of ministry under Provincial Minister Nomafrench Mbombo. In the run-up to the 2019 general election, she was the DA's executive director of communications.

DA caucus: 2019–2024
In the May 2019 election, Gwarube was elected to represent the DA in the National Assembly, the lower house of the South African Parliament. She was also appointed as Shadow Minister of Health in the shadow cabinet of DA leader Mmusi Maimane, with Lindy Wilson as her deputy. She retained that position in the shadow cabinet of Maimane's successor, John Steenhuisen. Her time in the health portfolio coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as with the Digital Vibes scandal concerning alleged corruption in the Department of Health; in the latter connection, Gwarube laid criminal charges against Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.

On 24 November 2020, Steenhuisen announced Gwarube's appointment as the DA's new national spokesperson, a position previously held jointly by Solly Malatsi and Refilwe Ntsheke. She was in that role for just over a year before the DA held its internal midterm caucus elections on 2 December 2021. In a heated contest to succeed Jacques Julius as deputy chief whip of the DA parliamentary caucus, Gwarube was victorious against Chris Hunsinger and Angel Khanyile. Alongside her new position as deputy chief whip, she continued to serve as DA national spokesperson and as Shadow Minister of Health, until in February 2022 she ceded the health portfolio to Michéle Clarke.

On 18 August 2022, Gwarube was promoted to become chief whip of the DA caucus in the National Assembly; the incumbent, Natasha Mazzone, was sacked. Commentators remarked on Gwarube's "meteoric rise" through the caucus. In an editorial, Mondli Makhanya of City Press remarked that, although she was "an articulate, confident MP and party spokesperson whose voice you cannot miss", Gwarube remained relatively inexperienced; he warned her to guard against "being set up to fail". Gwarube, however, said that she was prepared for the role and that she intended "to navigate this space very authentically". Cilliers Brink and Solly Malatsi were appointed to take over her responsibilities as DA national spokesperson.

Minister of Basic Education: 2024–present
Gwarube was re-elected to her parliamentary seat in the May 2024 general election, and she was a member of the four-member team that represented the DA during subsequent coalition negotiations with the African National Congress (ANC). In line with the coalition agreement reached between the DA and ANC, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed her as Minister of Basic Education. The ANC's Reginah Mhaule was appointed as her deputy. She was sworn in to office on 3 July 2024, and George Michalakis replaced her as the DA's chief whip.

Although the National Association of School Governing Bodies welcomed Gwarube's appointment to the education ministry, the South African Democratic Teachers Union objected strongly, with union leader Mugwena Maluleke telling the press that her ascension was an "affront" to the union.