31 Facts About Marius Fransman

Marius Llewellyn Fransman was born on 15 August 1969 and is a South African politician and teacher.

Marius Fransman served as Leader of the Opposition in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament from 2014 to 2016, and as Chairperson of the Western Cape African National Congress from 2011 to 2016.

Marius Fransman served as Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation in the cabinet of Jacob Zuma.

Marius Fransman was born on 15 August 1969 in Blackheath on the Cape Flats.

Marius Fransman served as head boy of Bishop Lavis Secondary School and matriculated in 1987.

Marius Fransman played a crucial role in creating awareness while he served as the chairperson of the school's student representative council.

Marius Fransman obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Cape.

Marius Fransman worked as a regional recruiter for the ANC and later took up the position of Farm Dweller Project Manager at Surplus People's Project.

Marius Fransman served as Provincial Deputy Secretary of the Western Cape African National Congress branch from 1997 until 2004, while he concurrently worked as head of the fishing desk.

Marius Fransman was the party's rural elections co-ordinator from 1995 until he became the party's provincial elections coordinator in 1999.

Marius Fransman was elected to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in 1999 and held many positions in the Western Cape provincial government.

Marius Fransman was named Provincial Minister of Social Services and Poverty Alleviation in 2001 but was then deployed to the position of Provincial Minister of Local Government and Housing in 2004.

Marius Fransman served until 2008 when Premier Lynne Brown announced that Fransman would become Provincial Minister of Health.

Marius Fransman was a candidate for the post of Chairperson of the Western Cape African National Congress.

Marius Fransman was unanimously elected chairperson on 12 February 2011 at the party's conference in Cape Town.

Marius Fransman challenged incumbent Helen Zille of the Democratic Alliance for the position of Premier at the first sitting of the Fifth Provincial Parliament.

Marius Fransman subsequently lost to Zille as the Democratic Alliance held a majority in the Provincial Parliament.

Marius Fransman had challenged and criticised the Western Cape Government and the Democratic Alliance on its policy positions.

Marius Fransman won re-election unopposed to a second term at the party's conference in 2015.

Marius Fransman had received quite a lot of support during this period.

In May 2016, the National Prosecuting Authority announced that the charges against Marius Fransman had been dropped due to a lack of evidence.

In July 2016, an ANC official claimed that Marius Fransman had returned to his position.

Marius Fransman brought forward a court application to get reinstated as chairperson.

In September 2016, Marius Fransman resigned as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, yet he did not step down from the position of provincial chairperson.

In March 2017, Marius Fransman threw his support behind chairperson of Nelson Mandela Bay African National Congress branch, Andile Lunigsa, as senior ANC party officials called for Lungisa's resignation.

Marius Fransman, who is an avid supporter of Jacob Zuma, announced in March 2017, that he is elated that Zuma reshuffled his cabinet and praised the appointments of the new ministers.

Marius Fransman challenged the disgruntled ministers and MPs to resign their respective posts.

In September 2018, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies made public statements, in which they stated that Marius Fransman had not yet apologised for the defamatory comments he made in 2013.

Interim ANC Western Cape Chair, Lerumo Kalako, has said that Marius Fransman is welcome to become a member of the party again.

In November 2023, Marius Fransman launched a new political party, the People's Movement for Change.

On 31 March 2020, Marius Fransman announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19.