Mmabatho Tembe | |
Honorific-Suffix: | MPL |
Office: | Deputy Speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature |
Premier: | Thami Ntuli |
Term Start: | 14 June 2024 |
Predecessor: | Themba Mthembu |
Office1: | Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature |
Term Start1: | 7 December 2021 |
Predecessor1: | Chris Pappas |
Birth Place: | Durban, South Africa |
Nationality: | South African |
Party: | Democratic Alliance |
Education: | Queensburgh Girls' High School |
Alma Mater: | University of KwaZulu-Natal |
Profession: | Politician |
Mmabatho Tembe is a South African politician who has served as the Deputy Speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature since June 2024. A member of the Democratic Alliance, she has served in the provincial legislature since December 2021. Tembe had previously served as a councillor in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.
Tembe was born and grew up in Durban. She matriculated from Queensburgh Girls' High School. Tembe graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal with a degree in Social Sciences majoring in Psychology and Anthropology before she graduated with an Honours degree in Counseling Psychology.[1] She has also earned a certificate in project management from the University of Cape Town.[1]
Tembe worked as a research assistant to the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Durban University of Technology. She then became an Academic Development Advisor at the Health Sciences Department of the university.[1]
Tembe joined the Democratic Alliance branch in Ward 33 in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in 2014. She was appointed secretary of the party's Central Durban constituency.[1]
Tembe was elected a DA councillor in the eThekwini municipality in 2016. During her tenure as a councillor, she served on the economic development committee, before moving to the community safety committee where she was whip for two terms.[1]
On 7 December 2021, Tembe was sworn in as a DA Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature. She filled the casual vacancy that arose after the resignation of Chris Pappas who was elected mayor of the uMngeni Local Municipality.[1]
During a special sitting of the legislature held on 10 August 2022 to elect a new Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, the DA caucus nominated Tembe to contest the election against the ANC's candidate Nomusa Dube-Ncube. Dube-Ncube defeated Tembe by a margin of 45 to 11 votes.[2] [3]
Tembe was elected deputy speaker of the provincial legislature following the 2024 provincial election.[4]