More Jews Than Ever Serving in South African Parliament

Following last month’s all-race elections, more Jews than ever before are serving in the new South African parliament.

Joe Slovo, chairman of the South African Communist Party and national executive member of the ruling African National Congress, has been appointed minister of housing.

He is only the third Jew to be appointed to the Cabinet in South Africa. Louis Shill, the second Jew to attain Cabinet rank, served as minister of housing until the new government took office earlier this month.

Born in Lithuania, Slovo came to South Africa as a child and was trained as a lawyer. He went into exile in the early 1960s. He played a leading role in the 30-year armed struggle against apartheid, for many years armed struggle against apartheid, for many year heading the ANC’s armed wing, Umkhonto weSizwe. He returned to South Africa after the ANC was legalized in 1990.

Of the nine Jews in the new 400-seat Parliament, or National Assembly, seven are members of the ANC. They include Slovo, Ronnie Kasrils, Raymond Suttner, Gill Marcus, Max Coleman, Mary Elizabeth Turok and Jeffrey Brian Peires.

The other two are Tony Leon, of the Democratic Party, and Esme Chait, representing former President F.W. de Klerk’s National Party.

Leon, in his mid 30s, capped a meteoric political career on Sunday with his election as leader of the Democratic Party. This follows the resignation last week of the former party leader, Dr. Zach de Beer, following the party’s poor showing in the elections.

Leon, a lawyer, gained national prominence in local politics while still in his 20s.

He entered Parliament in 1989, representing a constituency held for 35 years by veteran Democratic Party parliamentarian Helen Suzman.