Humphrey Mmemezi (born 26 February 1955) is a South African politician and civil servant who has served as a Member of the National Assembly from March 2023. He previously served in the National Assembly between 2014 and 2019 and served as Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Works from 2017. He was formerly a Member of the Executive Council for Local Government and Housing in the Gauteng provincial government from 2010 to 2012. He resigned from the provincial government in July 2012 when he was found guilty of contravening the legislature's code of conduct and ethics, including in using his government credit card for personal expenses.
Early life and career
Humphrey Mdumzeli Zondelele Mmemezi was born on 26 February 1955 in the village of Buthulo near Lusikisiki in what is now South Africa's Eastern Cape province. After the end of apartheid in 1994, he became an active member of local structures of the governing African National Congress (ANC) in the West Rand region of the new Gauteng province. He was elected a local councillor in the West Rand District Municipality, but resigned in mid-2008 to take up a job at Gauteng's Mogale City Local Municipality, where he was appointed as head of human resources.
Months after his appointment to the municipality, in November 2008, four women who worked under him reported to the media, the municipality, and the Krugersdorp police that Mmemezi had sexually harassed them at work. In August 2009, he was acquitted of sexual harassment in the Krugersdorp magistrate's court; in a move criticised by the South African Municipal Union, the four women were later subjected to a disciplinary hearing, charged with bringing the municipality into disrepute.
Provincial political career
ANC Deputy Provincial Secretary: 2010–2014
While working at Mogale municipality, Mmemezi remained active in the ANC. In May 2010, he was elected Deputy Provincial Secretary of the ANC's branch in Gauteng, in a contest against Lillian Nomvula and Jacob Khawe. He campaigned on an informal slate aligned to Paul Mashatile, who won re-election as Provincial Chairperson at the same party elective conference; according to News24, he "played a critical role" in securing Mashatile's re-election. He held his party office until October 2014, when he was succeeded by Gwen Ramokgopa, and he deputised longstanding Provincial Secretary David Makhura.
Gauteng Executive Council: 2010–2012
On 2 November 2010, the Premier of Gauteng, Nomvula Mokonyane, announced a cabinet reshuffle in which Mmemezi was appointed Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Local Government and Housing in the Gauteng provincial government. He was appointed alongside Ntombi Mekgwe and Lebogang Maile, who were also considered allies of Paul Mashatile, and it was widely believed that the provincial ANC under Mashatile's leadership had forced Mokonyane to make the appointments. Mmemezi was sworn into the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in order to take up the position.
Misconduct
While in the provincial government, Mmemezi was at the centre of several scandals pertaining to alleged misconduct. In particular, two incidents were investigated by the government's integrity commission. First, in November 2011, Mmemezi's official car, a BMW X5, hit a teenager on a motorbike, severely injuring him. The driver of the vehicle was ultimately convicted of reckless or negligent driving, with a court finding that the collision occurred after the driver ran a red light while taking Mmemezi to a meeting. The opposition Democratic Alliance alleged that Mmemezi had subsequently lied to the government about the extent of the damage to the official car. The integrity committee investigation ultimately gave some credence to this allegation, reporting that Mmemezi had "at the very least, been very economic with the truth surrounding his involvement in an accident and the subsequent action which took place... He has misled the legislature and the office of the IC [integrity commission] and may have tried to cover up the extent of damage to his official vehicle."
