Women's Month

"I want people to be heard"

"I want Parliament to be a place where people can voice their concerns, a place where they can be heard," says Dr Annelie Lotriet, Parliament's newly elected Deputy Speaker. We meet in her office in Africa House, within the Parliamentary buildings in Cape Town. It's clear she's still settling into the space, but her work to make Parliament a voice for the people has already begun.

Lotriet’s political journey began as a ward councillor while also being a university lecturer, balancing her career with being a mother and wife. "It's no easy task. You need to be a multitasker,” she says.

"I have four sons, and I had them very early in my life before I entered politics. They're adults now, and I have grandchildren. You must make the right choice in a partner who gives you that space and who understands that, because I think it's very difficult if you don't have that support. I’ve always worked while raising children. Even when I was lecturing before entering politics formally, I was also a radio announcer, managing two jobs while raising children."

Lotriet says raising her children while in the early stages of her career in politics was not easy, especially life as a ward councillor. “Being a ward councillor is where the real work happens, you deal with all the complaints, you see the failure of municipalities that are not run by the ANC. You see what people go through in this country on a daily. It’s one of the toughest jobs in politics,” she says.

Getting to Deputy Speaker

After the May elections, which were the most crucial since 1994, the ANC was forced to share power. Part of the deal was to share roles within Parliament. The DA secured the Deputy Speaker role. The process, however, was not without its challenges.

“After the election, we went into a very uncertain period because the results were much different than what we expected, specifically in terms of the ANC. And then before the election, we had the multiparty charter, starting with the Moonshot Pact, but then considering the outcome, we had to make other plans, but there were no firm decisions or plans or anything, it really came down to the wire.”

According to Lotriet things only became clear on the morning of 14th of June, the day parliamentarians got sworn in. “John Steenhuisen and the team was still outside, busy negotiating, trying to find a firm deal with the ANC. We were ready for a caucus meeting, and as deputy chief whip, I was still trying to get everyone calm inside. Next moment I got called outside and got told by Steenhuisen that we have a deal, and that they would like to propose me as deputy speaker.”

Lotriet says her experience and various leadership roles in the DA and parliament over the years made her become the party’s candidate for the role, but that getting voted into the role still feels “unreal.”

“Electing the speaker was easy, because we would support the ANC, but then the next test was, are they going to support me? Because they've never supported any other party. You’re overwhelmed because you don’t know. And it took long, I was only elected that night, a bit of an unreal moment.”

I want people’s voices to be heard

Regarding her plans as Deputy Speaker, Lotriet says, "I first had to understand what the role entails. Presiding over parliamentary sittings is just a small part of it. The Speaker has assigned certain functions to me, including language services in Parliament, which aligns with my academic background in language studies.

“I'm also responsible for the medical scheme for Parliament, among other things. But my primary focus is on the rules and the decorum of the House. I want to contribute to the orderly functioning of Parliament and ensure decisions are made in a reasonable time. I aim to make Parliament a place where people can be heard."

The rebuilding of Parliament

On the rebuilding of Parliament after the devastating fire in January 2022, Lotriet remarks, "From my office, I can see and hear the contractors at work. It took a long time for the process to start, but there's progress. The new Minister of Public Works is very hands-on, which is comforting. The rebuilding is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, but we all know construction timelines can be impacted by various things, but there is progress.”

As the first DA member to hold the Deputy Speaker role, Lotriet reflects on its significance, "I think it's extremely good for democracy. The ANC's control of everything wasn't good for democracy or the ANC itself. Now, with different parties holding committee chairs, there's better accountability. It's a win-win for everyone—for the ANC, for the country, and for the voters."

On Women

Lotriet says having a female Speaker and Deputy Speaker is not enough, “it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Real equal rights are still lacking for women on the ground. We still have a patriarchal system, as seen in gender-based violence and the burdens women carry as providers and carers. True equality means women having the right to make decisions about their own lives—where they want to live, what they want to do, whether they want children or not."

When asked what makes her a woman, Lotriet smiles and says, "I live in a house with men, so for me, it's the sensitivity and caring element. In a man's world, you do whatever needs to be done, but women often have a different approach. We look for solutions and try to ease conflicts. That's what I intend to bring to my new role."