Nicholas Gotsell (born 25 December 1982) is a South African politician from the Western Cape. He has represented the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the National Council of Provinces since June 2024. An attorney by training, he is also the head of the DA's Federal Legal Commission.
Nicholas Gotsell | |
|---|---|
| Delegate to the National Council of Provinces | |
| Assembly Member for Western Cape | |
| Assumed office 15 June 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 December 1982 |
| Citizenship | South African |
| Political party | Democratic Alliance |
| Alma mater | University of South Africa |
Early life and career
editGotsell was born on 25 December 1982.[1] He was a clerk in the magistrates' courts in Wynberg and Cape Town, and he worked as a judge's registrar in the Western Cape High Court while completing his LLB at the University of South Africa.[2] In 2011 he joined De Klerk & Van Gend, a firm of attorneys in Cape Town, where he served his articles of clerkship. After his admission as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa, he remained at De Klerk & Van Gend as an associate, becoming head of the firm's wills and estates department.[2]
Gotsell left legal practice to join the management of the Democratic Alliance (DA). He became the head of the party's internal Federal Legal Commission.[3] During the 2021 local elections the GOOD Party criticised him for sharing a faked video clip of GOOD candidate Peter de Villiers; the video was posted on Gotsell's Facebook page and reposted by DA chairperson Helen Zille.[4]
Parliament of South Africa: 2024–present
editIn the May 2024 general election, Gotsell stood as a parliamentary candidate, ranked 157th on the DA's national party list.[1] He was elected to a seat in the Western Cape caucus of the National Council of Provinces. On 9 July 2024, the council designated him to serve on the Judicial Service Commission as a parliamentary representative.[5] He was also appointed as a member of the Select Committee on Security and Justice, a member of the Select Committee on Public Petitions and Executive Undertakings, and an alternate member of the Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Public Administration and the Select Committee on Public Infrastructure and Minister in the Presidency.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b "Final Candidate Lists for 2024 National and Provincial Elections: National Candidates" (PDF). Electoral Commission of South Africa. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ a b "People". Cape Town Attorney Association. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "De Lille hearing set to go – maybe". The Mail & Guardian. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ Khumalo, Juniour (14 October 2021). "GOOD's Peter de Villiers demands apology from Zille for sharing fake video of him". News24. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "Parliament elects Mr Poobalan Govender as Deputy Chairperson". South African Government. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
- ^ "Nicholas Gotsell". People's Assembly. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
External links
edit- Nicholas Gotsell at People's Assembly
- Nicholas Gotsell at Parliament of South Africa