Mervyn Dirks
Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature
Assumed office
22 June 2023
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
In office
21 May 2014 – 30 January 2023
Personal details
Born
Mervyn Alexander Dirks
NationalitySouth African
Political partyAfrican National Congress
ProfessionPolitician

Mervyn Alexander Dirks is a South African politician who has served as a Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature since June 2023. A member of the African National Congress, he previously served as a member of the National Assembly from May 2014 to January 2023.

During his tenure in parliament, he was the ANC's chief whip in the Standing Committee on Public Accounts until his suspension in January 2022. Dirks was a municipal councillor of the Msunduzi Local Municipality where he served as the deputy mayor.

Early life

Dirks grew up in the previous Transkei bantustan. He had to use a passport to cross the Umzimkulu River to attend school in the former Natal Province. He soon completed matric.[1]

Political career

Dirks began his political activism by participating in the Happy Valley rent boycotts. He joined the United Democratic Front in the 1980s and became the organisation's head organiser in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal.[1] In 1995, Dirks was elected as a municipal councillor of the Pietermaritzburg municipality. Following the 2006 municipal election, he became a member of the executive committee of the Msunduzi Local Municipality as he was elected deputy mayor. He served in the position until 2010, when the ANC recalled the municipal leadership.[2] Dirks was elected as an MP at the 2014 general election held on 7 May. He was sworn into office on 21 May 2014. The following year, Dirks was elected to the provincial executive committee of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal. He was re-elected for a second term as an MP in May 2019. In June 2019, he became the chief whip of the ANC in the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.[3]

In January 2022, Dirks wrote a letter to the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), Mkhuleko Hlengwa, in which he requested that the committee to summon ANC president and the current President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, to appear in front of the committee for his alleged misuse of state funds for party activities.[4] Ramaphosa said in a leaked audio recording that "Investigations will reveal that a lot of public money was used (to fund political campaigns)." On 17 January, ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina asked Dirks in a letter to withdraw his letter to Hlengwa. Dirks refused and on the same day, he wrote to the ANC's strategy group and demanded that they explain to him as to why he needs to withdraw his letter. On 20 January 2022, the ANC suspended Dirks's membership of the ANC parliamentary group pending disciplinary action against him for his "unbecoming conduct". His membership of the SCOPA was also suspended and he was removed as the whip of the ANC's SCOPA study group. His membership of the ANC's strategy group was also suspended and he was removed from ANC caucus WhatsApp groups.[5][6][7] Despite Dirks' suspension, SCOPA chair Hlengwa has said that the investigation will continue.[8]

On 13 December 2022, Dirks was one of five ANC MPs who defied the party whip to vote against the adoption on the Section 89 Panel report on whether sufficient evidence exists to show that President Cyril Ramaphosa committed a serious violation of the Constitution or law or committed a serious misconduct amid the 2020 Phala Phala Robbery.[9]

On 30 January 2023, it was reported that Dirks and fellow ANC MP Tshilidzi Munyai had resigned from the National Assembly amid an impending Cabinet reshuffle by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Dirks said on his resignation that he would remain a party member.[10][11]

Dirks was sworn in as a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature on 22 June 2023. He filled the casual vacancy arising from Kwazi Mshengu's resignation.[12]

Incidents

In 2017, Dirks attempted to disrupt a parliamentary debate regarding state capture.[13] In August of that same year, he showed middle finger to the opposition MPs. He did it again on 30 November,[14] after he called opposition MP Phumzile van Damme a "straatmeid" (prostitute).[15] On that same day, he also threatened fellow ANC MP Tozama Mantashe, the younger sister of senior party politician Gwede Mantashe.[16] ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu condemned his actions.[17]

In September 2017, The Witness reported that Dirks had an outstanding municipal debt over R60,000.[18] Later, in 2019, Dirks was referred to the parliamentary Ethics Committee after he called certain MPs "dogs".[19]

References

  1. 1 2 "Blog: Mervyn Alexander Dirks (ANC)". People's Assembly. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  2. ↑ "New team to 'return Msunduzi to former glory'". IOL. 26 March 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2020. Former mayor Zanele Hlatshwayo, her deputy Mervin Dirks and another exco member and Themba Zungu were given the boot for the municipality's poor performance.
  3. ↑ Gerber, Jan (21 June 2016). "IFP's Mkhuleko Hlengwa set to become Scopa chair". News24. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "ANC MP wants Ramaphosa hauled before Scopa over 'misuse' of state cash". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "ANC suspends MP Mervyn Dirks after he urges Scopa to act against Cyril Ramaphosa over comments on fund abuse". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  6. ↑ Ndenze, Babalo. "ANC MP Dirks to address suspension from party's parliamentary caucus on Friday". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  7. ↑ Khumalo, Juniour. "ANC suspends Mervyn Dirks for 'unbecoming conduct' following his call to investigate Ramaphosa". News24. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  8. ↑ Gerber, Jan. "ANC suspending Dirks will not scupper investigation into Ramaphosa, says Scopa chairperson". News24. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  9. ↑ Mntambo, Nokukhanya. "NDZ first of 4 ANC MPs to vote for adoption of Section 89 Phala Phala report". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  10. ↑ Felix, Jason. "Two ANC MPs resign amid talks of impending Cabinet reshuffle by Ramaphosa". News24. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  11. ↑ Ndenze, Babalo. "'I will remain a member of the ANC', says Mervyn Dirks after MP resignation". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  12. ↑ Mboto, Sibusiso (22 June 2023). "Dirks returns as ANC MPL in KZN Legislature". Independent Online. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  13. ↑ Mokone, Thabo (29 November 2017). "Pro-Zuma MPs fail to quash state capture debate". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  14. ↑ Ndou, Clive (4 December 2017). "ANC MP Dirks apologises for showing finger in Parliament". The Witness. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  15. ↑ van Niekerk, Garreth (1 December 2017). "Phumzile van Damme: Mervyn Dirks Called Me A 'Straatm**d'". HuffPost. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  16. ↑ "Mantashe's younger sister explains what happened in altercation with ANC MP". The Citizen. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  17. ↑ Gerber, Jan (1 December 2017). "ANC MP Dirks' behaviour is 'despicable' - Mthembu". News24. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  18. ↑ Pillay, Kailene (15 September 2017). "Outrage over Dirks' R60 000 City bill". The Witness. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  19. ↑ Makinana, Andiswe (2 April 2019). "ANC MP Mervyn Dirks in the dog box again - for social media slur". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
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