Vincent Gore

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Vincent Gore
Member of the National Assembly
In office
June 1999 – May 2009
Personal details
Born
Vincent Charles Gore

(1972-11-23) 23 November 1972 (age 51)
CitizenshipSouth Africa
Political partyAfrican National Congress
Other political
affiliations		Independent Democrats
Democratic Alliance
Democratic Party

Vincent Charles Gore (born 23 November 1972) is a South African politician who served in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2009. He represented the Democratic Party (DP) and Democratic Alliance (DA) during his first term, but was elected to his second term under the banner of the Independent Democrats (ID). In September 2007, he crossed the floor from the ID to the African National Congress (ANC).

Early life and career

Gore was born on 23 November 1972.[1] He grew up in Sandton, a wealthy suburb of Johannesburg.[2] He was an engineer by profession and became wheelchair-bound after a car accident in 1996.[2]

Legislative career: 1999–2009

Democratic Party: 1999–2004

In the 1999 general election, Gore was elected to represent the DP (later the DA) in the Gauteng caucus of the National Assembly.[1] His constituency was Alexandra in Johannesburg.[2] He was viewed as a liberal politician and was the party's spokesperson for the disabled.[3]

Independent Democrats: 2004–2007

In the run-up to the 2004 general election, a leaked copy of the DA's party list suggested that Gore had been placed in an unelectable position.[4][3] In the final version of the list, Gore was promoted only one rank, from 29th to 28th on the party's regional list for Gauteng.[3] In the aftermath, Gore resigned from the DA and joined the ID; when the election was held in 2004, he was re-elected to the National Assembly from the ID's national list.[5]

During the legislative term that followed, Gore represented the ID as a member of the parliamentary delegation that observed the 2005 Zimbabwean parliamentary elections. The ID withdrew from the delegation in mid-March, with Gore describing it as "a farce and a waste of taxpayers' money", given that "it is quite clear that the upcoming Zimbabwean elections are not going to be free and fair".[6] The leader of the delegation, Mbulelo Goniwe of the ANC, later argued that Gore should compensate Parliament for the costs of his travel since he had absconded voluntarily.[7]

African National Congress: 2007–2009

During the 2005 floor-crossing window, the Mail & Guardian reported that Gore was resisting advances from the DA, which wanted him to return to his former party.[8] However, during the next floor-crossing window in September 2007, Gore resigned from the ID and defected to the ANC.[9][10] ID leader Patricia de Lille later dismissed Gore's criticism of her leadership style, describing him as "a serial floor-crosser".[11] Gore left the National Assembly after the 2009 general election.

References

  1. ^ a b "General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures" (PDF). Government Gazette of South Africa. Vol. 408, no. 20203. Pretoria, South Africa: Government of South Africa. 11 June 1999. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Wheelchair-bound MP makes a mark in Alex". The Mail & Guardian. 16 March 2001. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Top DA brass low on Gauteng list". The Mail & Guardian. 26 January 2004. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  4. ^ "DA reacts to candidates' list leak". The Mail & Guardian. 27 January 2004. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Few surprises on candidates lists". The Mail & Guardian. 20 April 2004. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  6. ^ "SA mission to Zim a 'farce', says ID". The Mail & Guardian. 18 March 2005. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Goniwe: DA abused govt mission to Zim". The Mail & Guardian. 7 April 2005. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Small parties set to bleed". The Mail & Guardian. 25 August 2005. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Floor-crossing Travelgate MP accepted by ANC". The Mail & Guardian. 12 September 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  10. ^ "National Assembly Members". Parliamentary Monitoring Group. 15 January 2009. Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  11. ^ "A short, aggressive campaign". The Mail & Guardian. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
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