Dali Mpofu (born Christopher Daluxolo Mpofu in 1962 in King William's Town) is a South African lawyer and politician who is the former National Chairperson of the

Economic Freedom Fighters The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a South African left-wing to far-left pan-Africanist and Marxist–Leninist political party. It was founded by expelled former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) President Julius Malema, and hi ...

and has been serving on the party's central command team since 2013.

Early life

Mpofu began practicing law after he completed his LLB at the

University of South Africa The University of South Africa (UNISA), known colloquially as Unisa, is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, U ...

in 1991. He joined the Youth League of the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...

(ANC) in 1989 during

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

. In a letter penned by

Winnie Mandela Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela; 26 September 1936 – 2 April 2018), also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She serv ...

, she admitted to giving Dali Mpofu R160 000 (worth over R700 000 in 2019 terms) of misappropriated

ANC The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election installe ...

funds.

Career

In 2014, he left the ANC after 33 years and joined

Julius Malema Julius Sello Malema (born 3 March 1981) is a South African politician and activist who is a Member of Parliament and the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a left-wing party which he founded in 2013. He was formerly the President of ...

's opposition party, the

. In 2017, Mpofu was elected to serve a term on the South African Judicial Service Commission (JSC). In 2019, he was re-elected for a second term. His term came to an end in 2021, but he was allowed to continue ‘to keep the continuity and not disrupt the proceedings of the JSC’. In 2021 Mpofu represented

Tom Moyane Tom Moyane (born 31 January 1953) is a South African development economist and former commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Education and exile After obtaining a BSc in Economics from the Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozam ...

in the

Zondo commission The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State, better known as the Zondo Commission or State Capture Commission, is a public inquiry established in Janu ...

into state capture and told the former Public Enterprises Minister

Pravin Gordhan Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan (born 12 April 1949) is a politician and anti-apartheid activist who has held various ministerial posts in the Cabinet of South Africa. He served as Minister of Finance from 2009 until 2014 and again from 2015 until 2017, ...

to "shut up". The Johannesburg Society of Advocates subsequently found Mpofu in breach of ethics for telling his colleague Michelle le Roux to shut up during this exchange. Dali Mpofu represented

Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan name Msholozi, and was a former anti-aparth ...

in a number of appeals and postponement applications during his corruption trial, but has denied that these form part of a " Stalingrad legal defense" which has delayed the case by over two decades. Dali Mpofu represented Public Protector

Busisiwe Mkhwebane Busisiwe Mkhwebane is a South African advocate, prosecutor and ombudsman, who has served as the 4th Public Protector of South Africa from 2016 to 2022. Early life and education Mkhwebane was born in Bethal in the then Transvaal province (now ...

in her application to interdict Parliament and

Cyril Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician who is currently serving as the fifth democratically elected president of South Africa. Formerly an anti-apartheid activist, trade union leader, and ...

from dismissing her. A report by a parliamentary panel said there was "substantial information that constitutes prima facie evidence of incompetence". Dali Mpofu said suspending Mkhwebane would be "injurious to erreputation, dignity and self-worth".

Personal life

Dali Mpofu married Mpumi Nxumalo in 2004.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mpofu, Dali Living people 1962 births South African politicians 20th-century South African lawyers 21st-century South African lawyers