Chris Hunsinger

The Honorable Chris Hunsinger MP
Shadow Deputy Minister of Transport in the National Assembly of South Africa
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 May 2014
Preceded by	Greg Krumbock
Mayoral Committee Member (Finance) and Councillor at Swartland Local Municipality
In office May 2011 – May 2014
Personal details
Born	23 October 1962 Bloemfontein, South Africa
Political party	Democratic Alliance
Residence	Malmesbury, Western Cape, South Africa
Alma mater	University of Stellenbosch
Occupation	Politician

Chris Hunsinger (born 23 October 1962) is a South African politician, a Member of the South African Parliament with the Democratic Alliance (South Africa)^[1] and appointed by the new Leader of the Opposition Mmusi Maimane as the Shadow Deputy Minister of Transport.^[2] (See Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (South Africa).) Hunsinger was first elected to Parliament on 28 May 2014. He speaks and writes about issues related to consumer and commodity needs in transport, including safety,^[3] planning, finance and management with South African road,^[4] rail,^[5] maritime,^[6] and aviation service providers.^[7]

Life

Hunsinger holds a bachelor's degree in Social Science from the University of Stellenbosch with post-graduate qualifications in Management and Financial Planning.

Hunsinger is an entrepreneur in the retail and financial services industry. He was nominated as SA Best Practice Top 10 Finalist in 2009 and won the Celestis Best Practice Award of Western Province in the same year.

Politics

Until 2014, Hunsinger was a Councillor in the Swartland Local Municipality. He was a member of the Executive Mayoral Committee responsible for Finance & Economic Development during the time when the Council received three consecutive "clean" audit outcomes. in 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14, one of only two municipalities out of 278 in SA to have accomplished this standard and improved its standing in the independent Local Economic Development Maturity Assessment from 14th position in 2011 to 1st in 2014 out of 30 municipalities in the Western Cape.

He led the Swartland bid team in 2013 that won international finance for the first VPUU and RSEP (Violence Prevention through Urban Upliftment and Regional Socio-Economic projects) in South Africa for rural areas. The unique proposal was recognised as a leading bid in terms of concept, innovative content and standard of submission. From 2011 until 2014, when he was elected to National Parliament, he also served as Provincial Executive Council member for the Western Cape in SALGA (the South African Local Government Association) and as provincial chairman of three working groups on the provincial and national level: Municipal Infrastructure & Planning, Municipal Trade & Services, and Climate Change & Environmental Planning. As a member of the Democratic Alliance, Hunsinger serves as a member of the Federal, Provincial and Regional Councils and as Treasurer in the Swartland constituency where he resides. As Western Region Campaign Manager in the 2014 national elections, involving 10 Municipal Constituencies, the Democratic Alliance improved with 23% support compared to the previous National election in 2009 and in the Swartland Constituency - the 65% DA support of the 2011 local government elections was increased to 67% – retaining the reputation as top performing constituency in South Africa in local, provincial and national election outcomes. As a ward councillor in Swartland Local Municipality, Hunsinger improved support for the Democratic Alliance in ward 10 from 68% in 2006 to 93% in 2014 with a 73% voter participation.

Civic contribution

In 2006, Hunsinger was honoured with the International Blue Heart Award in Berlin, Germany, for his contribution towards promoting various youth partnerships between South Africa and Germany since 1997 - and in particular for the establishment of the annual International AFRIyouth Camp in Ganzekraal, South Africa, in 2004. He was the 14th international and first African recipient of this prestigious prize and remains personally involved in the volunteer exchange programs, which kicked off in 2005, like Jo Dolphin-, Thusong-, iKwatthu-, and Elkana- community support institutions. Teenagers from the mainly rural Western Region of Western Cape have participated annually among 20 invited countries in leadership development programs at the Eurocamp in Kiez-harz, Güntersberge, Germany, since 1999. By creating opportunities like these, skills are learned through interaction with international exposure, thereby creating and increasing tolerance through cultural understanding, which adds significant meaning within each individual's value system.

Offices held

References

1. "RAF 'double dealing' claimants - The struggling Road Accident Fund stands accused of fraud.". Times Live. Bianca Capazorio | 22 April 2015
2. "Minister's bumpy ride on SA roads". Times Live, Jan-Jan Joubert | 06 May, 2015
3. http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2015/08/13/DA-calls-for-urgent-dialogue-on-taxi-safety/
4. http://www.polity.org.za/article.da-chris-hunsinger-says-hawks-to-take-over-alleged-raf-fraud-investigations-2015-09-22/
5. htttp://www.politicsweb.co.za/news-and-analysis/why-is-prasa-operating-trains-without-safety-permi/
6. "Sea Tragedy: DA Requests Urgent Audit Of Rescue Vessels | DispatchLIVE".
7. "SALGA - Page Manager Pages".

Exernal links

• South Africa Local Government Association website