Poobalan "Les" Govender (born 21 November 1954) is a South African politician from KwaZulu-Natal who is currently serving as the Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces. A member of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), he was a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature until the May 2024 general election.
Les Govender | |
|---|---|
| Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces | |
| Assumed office 9 July 2024 | |
| Chairperson | Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane |
| Preceded by | Sylvia Lucas |
| Permanent Delegate to the National Council of Provinces | |
| Assembly Member for KwaZulu-Natal | |
| Assumed office 15 June 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Poobalan Govender 21 November 1954 |
| Nationality | South African |
| Political party | Inkatha Freedom Party |
Life and career
editGovender was born on 21 November 1954.[1] Until 2024 he represented the IFP in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature.[2]
National Council of Provinces: 2024–present
editIn the May 2024 general election, he was ranked 11th on the IFP's provincial party list for KwaZulu-Natal.[3] He was elected as a permanent delegate of KwaZulu-Natal in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), the upper house of the South African Parliament.[2]
On 9 July 2024, the plenary of the NCOP elected Govender as the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP.[4] Elected unopposed, he was nominated for the position by Kenny Mmoiemang of the African National Congress (ANC) in terms of a coalition agreement between the ANC and IFP.[5] He deputised NCOP Chairperson Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, who had taken office almost a month earlier; the deputy chairmanship election had been delayed since then, reportedly because of a disagreement among the coalition partners.[5]
References
edit- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "Poobalan Govender". People's Assembly. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "Final Candidate Lists for 2024 National and Provincial Elections: Provincial Candidates" (PDF). Electoral Commission of South Africa. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Parliament elects Mr Poobalan Govender as Deputy Chairperson". South African Government. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ a b Seeletsa, Molefe (9 July 2024). "IFP's Poobalan Govender elected as NCOP deputy chairperson". The Citizen. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
External links
edit- Poobalan Govender at People's Assembly
- Poobalan Govender at Parliament of South Africa