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Dan Plato
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Dan Plato
Daniel Plato (born 5 October 1960), known as Dan Plato, is a South African politician and a former Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. He served from June 2011 until October 2018 and again from January 2022 until February 2024. He is the former mayor of Cape Town, a position he held for two nonconsecutive terms from May 2009 until June 2011 and again from November 2018 until October 2021. From June 2011 to October 2018, he was the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Community Safety.
Born in Cape Town, Plato was involved in political activities during his high school career. He was a community organiser and played a crucial role in mobilising residents against the Apartheid government. He was elected as a ward councillor in 1996. Plato was elected Mayor of Cape Town in May 2009, succeeding Helen Zille, who was elected Premier of the Western Cape.
In 2011, the Democratic Alliance nominated Patricia de Lille as the party's Cape Town mayoral candidate for the 2011 local government elections. Plato left office on 1 June 2011 and subsequently took office as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament and took up the position of Provincial Minister of Community Safety, succeeding Albert Fritz.
In August 2018, he declared his candidacy to succeed De Lille as Mayor of Cape Town. The Democratic Alliance named him as the party's preferred candidate in September 2018. Plato resigned as both Provincial Minister of Community Safety and Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in late-October 2018. He was sworn in as a councillor on 1 November 2018 and was elected Mayor on 6 November. In August 2021, the DA nominated party spokesperson on finance and Member of Parliament, Geordin Hill-Lewis, as their mayoral candidate for the City of Cape Town for the municipal elections on 1 November 2021. The DA retained their majority on the Cape Town city council. In December 2021, the DA announced that Plato would be returning to the Provincial Parliament in early 2022. He was sworn in as an MPP on 18 January 2022. He resigned from the DA and joined Marius Fransman's People's Movement for Change in February 2024.
Plato has been involved in political activities since high school, particularly in Cape Town's northern suburbs. He was a community organiser and played a significant role in rallying people against the apartheid regime. The Emergency Services Unit of the former Bellville Municipality (Tygerberg Administration) employed him in the 1980s. Plato became a member of the National Party in 1990. He later became the Cape Town Chairperson of the South African National Tuberculosis Association during the mid-1990s.
In 1996, Plato was elected as a Cape Metro councillor for the Belhar, Uitsig and Ravensmead region. He became a member of the council executive the following year. He served two terms as Chairperson of the City of Cape Town's Economic Development, Tourism and Property Management Portfolio Committee.
He managed the Housing portfolio in the Mayoral Committee from 2006 to 2009. During the same period, he was Deputy Chairperson of both the DA Metro Region and the DA Caucus in the City of Cape Town. He had also served as acting mayor at various intervals. Shortly before being elected mayor in May 2009, Plato had taken over as the Mayoral Committee Member responsible for Service Delivery and Economic Development.
In addition to his political activities, he has served on the boards of multiple organisations, including the Cape Film Commission, Cape Tourism, the University of the Western Cape and the Business Opportunities Network. He had also been a member of several community-based trusts. Plato was previously co-owner of National Pride Holdings Pty (Ltd).
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Dan Plato
Daniel Plato (born 5 October 1960), known as Dan Plato, is a South African politician and a former Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. He served from June 2011 until October 2018 and again from January 2022 until February 2024. He is the former mayor of Cape Town, a position he held for two nonconsecutive terms from May 2009 until June 2011 and again from November 2018 until October 2021. From June 2011 to October 2018, he was the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Community Safety.
Born in Cape Town, Plato was involved in political activities during his high school career. He was a community organiser and played a crucial role in mobilising residents against the Apartheid government. He was elected as a ward councillor in 1996. Plato was elected Mayor of Cape Town in May 2009, succeeding Helen Zille, who was elected Premier of the Western Cape.
In 2011, the Democratic Alliance nominated Patricia de Lille as the party's Cape Town mayoral candidate for the 2011 local government elections. Plato left office on 1 June 2011 and subsequently took office as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament and took up the position of Provincial Minister of Community Safety, succeeding Albert Fritz.
In August 2018, he declared his candidacy to succeed De Lille as Mayor of Cape Town. The Democratic Alliance named him as the party's preferred candidate in September 2018. Plato resigned as both Provincial Minister of Community Safety and Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in late-October 2018. He was sworn in as a councillor on 1 November 2018 and was elected Mayor on 6 November. In August 2021, the DA nominated party spokesperson on finance and Member of Parliament, Geordin Hill-Lewis, as their mayoral candidate for the City of Cape Town for the municipal elections on 1 November 2021. The DA retained their majority on the Cape Town city council. In December 2021, the DA announced that Plato would be returning to the Provincial Parliament in early 2022. He was sworn in as an MPP on 18 January 2022. He resigned from the DA and joined Marius Fransman's People's Movement for Change in February 2024.
Plato has been involved in political activities since high school, particularly in Cape Town's northern suburbs. He was a community organiser and played a significant role in rallying people against the apartheid regime. The Emergency Services Unit of the former Bellville Municipality (Tygerberg Administration) employed him in the 1980s. Plato became a member of the National Party in 1990. He later became the Cape Town Chairperson of the South African National Tuberculosis Association during the mid-1990s.
In 1996, Plato was elected as a Cape Metro councillor for the Belhar, Uitsig and Ravensmead region. He became a member of the council executive the following year. He served two terms as Chairperson of the City of Cape Town's Economic Development, Tourism and Property Management Portfolio Committee.
He managed the Housing portfolio in the Mayoral Committee from 2006 to 2009. During the same period, he was Deputy Chairperson of both the DA Metro Region and the DA Caucus in the City of Cape Town. He had also served as acting mayor at various intervals. Shortly before being elected mayor in May 2009, Plato had taken over as the Mayoral Committee Member responsible for Service Delivery and Economic Development.
In addition to his political activities, he has served on the boards of multiple organisations, including the Cape Film Commission, Cape Tourism, the University of the Western Cape and the Business Opportunities Network. He had also been a member of several community-based trusts. Plato was previously co-owner of National Pride Holdings Pty (Ltd).
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