Jacques Smalle


Jacobus Frederik "Jacques" Smalle is a South African politician who is currently serving as a Member of the Limpopo Provincial Legislature and the Provincial Leader of the Democratic Alliance in the province. He previously served as a Member of the National Assembly, Shadow Deputy Minister of Energy and Shadow Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture. Smalle was the Democratic Alliance's Limpopo Premier candidate for the 2019 election.

Life and career

Family and personal life

Smalle was born on 28 June 1970 in the Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital in the town of Louis Trichardt. He is married to Heidi Smalle. They have two children together. Smalle and his family reside in the Soutpansberg region of Limpopo. He speaks three languages: English, Afrikaans and Venda.

Political career

Smalle is a founding member of the Democratic Alliance. He was also an activist for vulnerable children in the Limpopo town of Oudtshoorn during the 1990s. In 2000, he was elected an Oudtshoorn municipal councillor. In 2006, he was elected a Makhado Local Municipality councillor and served in this position until his election to the Limpopo Provincial Legislature in May 2009.
In September 2010, he took office as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa. Parliamentary Leader of the Democratic Alliance Athol Trollip released a statement on 6 September 2010, in which he named Smalle as the new Shadow Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture. Smalle served in the position until newly-elected Parliamentary Leader of the Democratic Alliance Lindiwe Mazibuko appointed him to the position of Shadow Deputy Minister of Energy in February 2012.
In June 2012, Smalle unseated incumbent Provincial Leader Désirée van der Walt. He was declared the winner after four candidates were eliminated. National Leader of the Democratic Alliance Helen Zille urged delegates not to vote on the basis of their race.
In May 2014, Smalle returned to the Limpopo Provincial Legislature as leader of the Democratic Alliance caucus. He currently sits on the committees on Agriculture, Public Accounts, Rules and Ethics, and Education in the provincial legislature.
Smalle won re-election to a second term as Provincial Leader of the Limpopo Democratic Alliance in February 2015. In October 2017, he was re-elected to a third term as Provincial Leader.
On 15 September 2018, National Democratic Alliance Leader Mmusi Maimane announced Smalle as the party's Limpopo Premier candidate for the 2019 election.
Following the 2019 election, the Democratic Alliance retained its position as the third-largest party in the provincial legislature, though the party did lose support to the Freedom Front Plus.