James Selfe, the DA veteran, has retired from Parliament, having served since 1994, and brings to an end over 40 years in South African politics.
Selfe first entered politics as a researcher for the Progressive Federal Party (PFP) in 1979, the forerunner of today’s DA. He served in various capacities in the party and became its communications director in 1988, remaining in the post when the PFP merged with a number of other parties to become the Democratic Party (DP) the following year.
He was elected to Parliament in 1994, one of the DP’s seven MPs.
When the DA was formed in 2000 he became the chair of the party’s federal executive, a post he held until 2019.
Selfe said he had retired from politics due to deteriorating health and was quoted as saying: ‘I have tried to make our beloved country a better place. I hope my input and efforts contributed to this ideal.’
Tony Leon, the former leader of the DP and DA paid tribute to Selfe, saying: ‘His accomplishments – largely unsung and often unnoticed – both paved the road to the DA’s successes and cushioned the fall from its defeats. I would rate him as one of a tiny handful of truly indispensable people in leadership roles who led the party’s growth from a tiny parliamentary splinter in 1994 to its unchallenged role as official opposition and governing party in Cape Town and province of the Western Cape.’