Len Joubert

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Len Joubert
Member of the National Assembly
In office
23 April 2004 – May 2009
Personal details
Born
Leonardus Kolbé Joubert

(1948-08-31) 31 August 1948 (age 75)
CitizenshipSouth Africa
Political partyDemocratic Alliance (since September 2005)
Other political
affiliations
Inkatha Freedom Party (until September 2005)

Leonardus Kolbé "Len" Joubert (born 31 August 1948)[1] is a South African politician who served in the National Assembly from 2004 to 2009. He was a member of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) until September 2005, when he crossed the floor to the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Legislative career[edit]

Joubert was elected to the National Assembly in the 2004 general election, ranked 12th on the IFP's national party list.[1] The following year, the Mail & Guardian reported that he was being "wooed" by the DA, another opposition party,[2] and he indeed defected to the DA during the floor-crossing period of September 2005.[3] He later called floor-crossing a "revolting measure" and supported making it illegal.[4]

Serving the rest of his term under the DA's banner, he was the party's spokesman on justice.[5] In that capacity, he sponsored a private member's bill to amend the National Prosecuting Authority Act in order to legislate a role for the Judicial Service Commission in appointing the National Director of Public Prosecutions, which in terms of existing law was a presidential prerogative.[6]

Later career[edit]

In the 2009 general election, Joubert stood for re-election to the National Assembly, but he was listed third on the DA's party list for Mpumalanga[7] and the party won only two seats in the province. In 2021, he was shortlisted for appointment to the South African Human Rights Commission.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "General Notice: Notice 717 of 2004 - Electoral Commission – List of Names of Representatives in the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures in Respect of the Elections Held on 14 April 2004" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 466, no. 2677. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 20 April 2004. pp. 4–95. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Small parties set to bleed". The Mail & Guardian. 25 August 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  3. ^ "IFP stalwart Woods crosses to Jiyane's Nadeco". The Mail & Guardian. 6 September 2005. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Days numbered for floor-crossing". The Mail & Guardian. 20 August 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  5. ^ "DA: Probe into Simelane must be transparent". The Mail & Guardian. 6 January 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Free the prosecutor". The Mail & Guardian. 13 February 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  7. ^ "2009 National and Provincial Election – Final Candidate Lists" (PDF). Electoral Commission of South Africa. 6 April 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Committee on Justice and Correctional Services concludes interviews for positions on SAHRC". Parliament of South Africa. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2023.