Ian Cameron is a South African civic activist and the Director of Community Safety at Action Society, a non-profit organization focused on assisting victims of violent or

hate crime A hate crime (also known as a bias-motivated crime or bias crime) is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) of a certain social group or racial demograph ...

s who cannot afford legal counsel. Action Society was officially opened in 2021, primarily focusing on working for reform in the justice system, especially regarding

gender-based violence Gender-related violence or gender-based violence includes any kind of violence directed against people due to their gender or gender identification. Types of gender-related violence include: * Violence against women (sometimes referred to simply as ...

Early life and education

Cameron was born in Kempton Park and moved to the UK with his family when he was six. He studied Police Science at UNISA and has completed courses at the

North-West University af , Noordwes-Universiteit , image = https://www.nwu.ac.za/sites/www.nwu.ac.za/files/NWU-Logo-SW.png , motto = ''Dit Begin Alles Hier (Afrikaans)'' ''Gotlhe Go Simolola Fano (Setswana)'' , mottoeng ...

, the New York Fire Department, the Montana Department of Forestry, and earned a certificate in Local Government through the

University of Pretoria The University of Pretoria ( af, Universiteit van Pretoria, nso, Yunibesithi ya Pretoria) is a multi-campus public university, public research university in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa. The university was ...

Career

Prior to his role at Action Society, Cameron worked for

AfriForum AfriForum is a South African non-governmental organisation focused mainly on the interests of Afrikaners, a subgroup of the country's white population. AfriForum has been frequently described as a white nationalist, alt-right, and Afrikaner nation ...

for 10 years, focusing on supporting victims of farm attacks. The organization advocates for less dependency on the government in combating crime. In 2023 Cameron criticised police minister Bheki Cele. He gained attention after an incident where he was removed from a community policing engagement meeting by Cele in Gugulethu. In the same month, Cameron and Action Society were part of public participation processes regarding proposed legislation. The organization has submitted comments on various amendment bills, including the Gender-Based Violence Amendment Bills, the Criminal Law (Forensic Procedures) Amendment Bill, and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate Amendment Bill. In October 2023 Cameron was alleged to have made defamatory comments against several black professionals, including Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng. Cameron accused them of corruption in response to a speaking engagement event poster shared on social media. Cameron subsequently apologized, clarifying that he was unaware of Professor Phakeng's specific inclusion in the poster and that his comments were directed at other individuals on the poster with a history of alleged corrupt activities. Parliamentary Career Following the 2024 general elections in South Africa, Cameron was elected a member of parliament for the Democratic Alliance. A 12-year-old video of Cameron wearing

blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...

resurfaced, sparking public outrage on social media. On 10 July 2024, Cameron was appointed chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on police.

Move to the Democratic Alliance

In March 2024, Ian Cameron transitioned from his role at Action Society to join the Democratic Alliance (DA) with intentions of potentially securing a parliamentary seat. Cameron's move garnered attention within political circles and was reported in various media outlets, including the ''

Cape Argus The ''Cape Argus'' is a daily newspaper co-founded in 1857 by Saul Solomon and published by Sekunjalo in Cape Town, South Africa. It is commonly referred to as ''The Argus''. Although not the first English-language newspaper in South Africa ...

'' and ''

IOL News ''Independent Online'', popularly known as ''IOL'', is a news website based in South Africa. IOL serves the online versions of a number of South African newspapers, including ''The Star'', ''Pretoria News'', '' The Daily Voice'', ''Cape Times'' ...

''. Known for his advocacy against crime and his previous confrontations with Police Minister Bheki Cele, Cameron's decision to align with the DA signals a notable shift in his career trajectory.

Personal life

Cameron is married and is a father. He supports efforts aimed at reducing the rate of violent rapes and murders, especially against children, in South Africa.

References

External links

Action Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Ian Living people Year of birth missing (living people)