Dianne Kohler Barnard

Dianne Kohler Barnard MP


Shadow Minister of Police
In office 2006–2015
Leader	Tony Leon, Helen Zille & Mmusi Maimane
Shadow Minister of Health
In office 2005–2006
Leader	Tony Leon
Shadow Minister of Arts and Culture
In office 2004–2005
Leader	Tony Leon
Member of Parliament for Durban South, KwaZulu-Natal in the National Assembly of South Africa
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 May 2004
Personal details
Born	(1955-12-02) 2 December 1955 Port Elizabeth, Cape Province, Union of South Africa
Nationality	South African
Political party	Democratic Alliance

Dianne Kohler Barnard (born 2 December 1955) is a South African politician and former journalist, and a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Alliance (DA). In October 2015 she was expelled from the party by the DA Federal Executive. In December 2015 the decision was lifted on appeal to the DA's Federal Legal Commission.^[1]

She was born in Port Elizabeth,^[2] and currently resides in KwaZulu-Natal, where she represents the Central Durban constituency.^[3]

Career in journalism

Kohler Barnard spent 23 years working as a radio and print journalist. She ran the KwaZulu-Natal offices of SAfm and also presented/produced the station's afternoon news programme The Editors.

Kohler Barnard is also the former chairperson of the Broadcast, Electronic Media and Allied Workers' Union in KwaZulu-Natal, and was a founder member of the inaugural SABC HIV/Aids Committee.^[2]

Politics

Kohler-Barnard moved to politics in response to increasing state interference in the management of the SABC. She was elected to parliament with the DA in 2004, and was initially spokesperson on Arts and Culture.^[4]

She was subsequently appointed opposition spokesperson on Health, and was a vocal critic of incumbent Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, particularly over her support for controversial German vitamin salesman Matthias Rath. Rath attempted to sue Kohler Barnard for describing him as a "charlatan", and also tried to sue newspapers that carried the remark.^[5]

Subsequently, Kohler Barnard was appointed as Shadow Minister of Police. She was also the DA's representative on the SADC observer mission to Zimbabwe for the last two elections in that country.^[2]

Internal DA Disciplinary Controversy

In October 2015, Kohler Barnard was taken to an internal DA disciplinary panel after controversially sharing on her Facebook page a post from someone else suggesting that life in South Africa was better under former apartheid President PW Botha. Seemingly, one of the first instructions^[6] to Kohler Barnard to delete the post came from former DA leader Helen Zille.^[7]^[8] She subsequently deleted the post.^[9] Kohler Barnard apologised unreservedly for her action,^[10] and was subsequently demoted to the position of shadow Deputy Minister of Public Works.^[11]

Kohler Barnard stated at the time that she was considering her position,^[12] and new DA party leader Mmusi Maimane came under pressure to expel her from the party.^[13]

The disciplinary panel apparently recommended that Kohler Barnard be fined R20,000, be removed from all internally elected DA positions, pay for public apologies in 5 newspapers and attend a social media management course at her own expense.^[14]^[15] Following this, Kohler Barnard's membership of the DA was terminated by the DA Federal Executive.^[16] Kohler Barnard then appealed the decision to the DA Federal Legal Commission, as a result of which her expulsion was suspended for a period of 5 years.^[17]^[18]

The controversy undoubtedly harmed the image of the DA, which has been trying to project itself as an anti-apartheid party^[19]^[20] and also damaged relations with COPE, which was previously seen as another opposition party with which the DA could work closely.^[21] James Selfe, Chair of the DA Federal Council, stated that the affair could cause 'massive damage' to the DA and probably hurt the party in the polls.^[22]

The controversy also caused some serious internal tension within the DA, as some have viewed the original decisions as harsh,^[23] and may have implications for Mmusi Maimane as new leader of the DA.^[24] Her treatment by the DA was described by one political analyst as a 'show trial', inconsistent, and as exposing Maimane as a weak party leader.^[25] The party remains divided on the issue,^[26] and the matter may not be totally resolved as yet.^[27]

References

Offices held

Political offices
Preceded by James Masango	South African Shadow Deputy Minister of Public Works 2015–present
Preceded by Roy Janielsohn	South African Shadow Minister of Police 2006–2015	Succeeded by Zakhele Mbhele
Preceded by Ryan Coetzee	South African Shadow Minister of Health 2005–2006	Succeeded by Gareth Morgan
Preceded by Sydney Opperman	South African Shadow Minister of Arts and Culture 2004–2005	Succeeded by Desiree van der Walt

Current members of the National Assembly of South Africa by party

ANC	Mbete Abrahams Adams Bam-Mugwanya Bapela Basson Bekwa Beukman P Bhengu F Bhengu\| R Bhengu Bilankulu Bogopane-Zulu Bongo Bonhomme Booi Boroto Boshielo Botha Brown R Capa N Capa Carrim M Cele B Cele Chabane Chauke Chikunga Chohan Chueu Coleman Cronin Cwele Davies Didiza Dirks Dlakude Dlamini Dlamini-Dubazana Dlodlo Dlomo Dlulane Dunjwa Ebrahim Faku Frolick Fubbs Gamede Gcwabaza Gigaba Gina Goqwana Gordhan Gumede Hanekom Holomisa Jeffery Joemat-Peterson Johnson Jonas Jordan Kalako C Kekana D Kekana E Kekana H Kekana P Kekana Kenye Khoarai Khosa Khoza Khunou Koornhof Kota-Fredericks Kubayi Landers Lesoma Letsatsi-Duba Loliwe Luzipo Maake Mabasa P Mabe B Mabe Mabija Mabilo Mabudafhasi Madella Madikizela-Mandela Madlopha Maesela Mafolo Mafu Magadla Magadzi Magwanishe Mahambehlala Mahlalela D Mahlangu J Mahlangu Mahlobo Maila Majola Makhubela-Mashele Makhubele Makondo Makwetla Malgas Maluleke Manamela D Manana M Manana S Manana Mandela Mantashe Maphatsoe Mapisa-Nqakula Mapulane Martins Masango Masehela Maseko\| Mashatile Mashego-Dlamini Mashile Masina Masondo Masuku Masutha Mathale Mathebe Matlala Matshoba Matsimbi Mavunda Maxegwana Mbalula Mchunu Mdaka Mdakane Memela Mfeketo Mjobo H Mkhize Mkongi Mmemezi Mmusi Mnganga-Gcabashe D Mnguni P Mnguni Mnisi Mogotsi Mokoto Molebatsi Molewa Moloi-Moroka Morutoa Mosala Mothapo Motimele M Motshekga A Motshekga Motsoaledi J Mthembu N Mthembu E Mthethwa N Mthethwa Mudau Muthambi Nchabeleng Ndaba Ndabeni Ndogeni Nel Nene Nesi Ngcobo Ngwenya-Mabila Nkadimeng Nkoana Nkoana-Mashabane Nkwinti Nobanda Ntombela Ntwanambi Nxesi Nyalungu Nzimande G Oliphant M Oliphant Oosthuizen Pandor Patel Peters Phaahla Phosa Pikinini Pilane-Majake Qikani B Radebe G Radebe J Radebe Ralegoma Ramaphosa Ramatlakane Ramathlodi Ramokhoase Rantho Raphuti Scheepers Semenya September Shabangu Shope-Sithole Sibande Sisulu Siwela Sizani Skosana Skwatsha Smith Soytu Surty Thabethe Thomson Tleane Tobias Tom Tseke Tseli Tsenoli Tshwete Tsoleli Tsopo Tsotetsi Van Schalkwyk Xasa Xego-Sovita Yengeni Zokwana L Zulu

DA	Maimane America Atkinson Bagraim Baker Balindlela Basson Bergman Bhanga Boshoff Brauteseth Breytenbach Cardo Cassim Chance Davis De Freitas De Kock Dreyer Esau Figg Figlan Gana Gqada Groenewald Grootboom Hadebe Hill-Lewis Hoosen Horn Hunsinger L James W James Jongbloed Kalyan Kohler Barnard Kopane Kruger Krumbock Lees Lorimer Lotriet Lovemore Mackay MacKenzie Macpherson Majola E Marais K Marais Masango Matsepe Maynier Mbhele McLoughlin Mhlongo Michael Mileham Mokgalapa Motau Ollis Rabotapi Redelinghuys Robertson Robinson Ross Schmidt Selfe Seshoka Shinn Stander Steenhuisen Steenkamp Steyn Stubbe Tarabella Marchesi Terblanche Topham van Dalen Van Damme van der Walt van der Westhuizen Van Dyk Van Onselen Volmink Vos Walters Waters Whitfield Wilson

EFF	Malema Gardee Joseph Khawula Khoza Litchfield-Tshabalala Louw Mashabela Matiase Matlhoko Matshobeni Maxon Mbatha Mente-Nqweniso Mngxitama Moonsamy Morapela Moteka Mulaudzi Ndlozi Ntobongwana Ramakatsa Shivambu Sonti Twala

IFP	Buthelezi Esterhuizen Hlengwa Mcwango Mphontshane Nkomo Oriani-Ambrosini Singh Sithole Van Der Merwe

NFP	kaMagwasa-Msibi Khubisa Mabika Mncwabe Shaik Emam Shelembe

UDM	Holomisa Filtane Kwankwa Majeke

FF+	P Mulder Alberts Groenewald C Mulder

COPE	Lekota Carter Madisha

ACDP	Meshoe Dudley Swart

AIC	Galo Jafta Ntshayisa

Agang SA	Plouamma Tshishonga

PAC	Mphethi

APC	Godi

Party leaders in italics

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