Malatsi makes the province proud

POLOKWANE – He is only 28 years old and one of the youngest members of parliament in South Africa.

Solly Malatsi was the spokesperson for the MEC of transport and public works in the Western Cape, the spokesperson for the Cape Town mayor, Patricia de Lille and was recently appointed as the DA’s member of parliament in the sport and recreation portfolio.

Malatsi was born in Moduane village in Ga-Dikgale, and comes from a family of three.

He was raised by his grandfather and aunt after his mother passed away when he was only nine years old.

“My grandfather is a very special man in my life and in the lives of my siblings. He played a very important role in our lives. Who and where we are today is because of his love for us,” says Malatsi.

Malatsi matriculated from Phiri Kolobe High School in Ga-Dikgale, and says this is where his interest in politics started.

“My English teacher encouraged me to read a lot and to join the debating team. I initially wanted to be a chartered accountant, but as time went by, I realised that accounting was not for me; I was made to be in politics.” was in 2007 when he was studying at the University of Limpopo that he joined the DA and immediately applied to be one of the students on the DA young leaders programme. “When I joined the DA young leaders programme, I started participating in political debates and started writing speeches for the programme.”

In 2008, Malatsi was part of the DA parliamentary research team in Cape Town.

“I was very fortunate to go straight from school to work. I have learnt so much from them and gained so much experience in a short period of time. It really gave my career a huge break,” he says.

He was recently appointed as a member of parliament.

“Being an MP comes with a lot responsibilities, especially as I am one of the youngest MPs. Young people will be looking up to me and I have to be a role model for them. At the same time, being an MP does not define who I am, I am still the same boy from Ga-Dikgale who enjoyed playing soccer in the dusty streets and hanging out with my childhood friends. We need to pay less attention to titles, we need to focus on how people use the titles that they have. I am looking forward to working for our country, especially in the rural areas of Limpopo to make a difference.”

When asked why he chose to join the DA, Malatsi says: “For democracy to thrive we need political pluralism. Democracy gave us the freedom to choose our political homes. And for me the kind of society that the DA wants to build, is the kind of society that I want to belong to. A society where opportunities are created equally for everyone, regardless of the connections you have or who you know, this drove me to the DA. The DA cares and respects the rules of law and cares about the individuals, no political party is perfect, but we need a fair party that cares about our country and the people living in it”.