Virgill Gericke

Virgill Gericke
Permanent Delegate to the National Council of Provinces
Assumed office
15 June 2024
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
In office
20 October 2023 – 28 May 2024
President of the Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners
In office
2011 – 19 October 2023
Preceded byParty created
Succeeded byRoselien Titus (acting)[1]
Personal details
Political partyEconomic Freedom Fighters (2023–present)
Other political
affiliations
Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners (2011–2023)

Virgill Gericke is a South African politician who has been a Permanent Delegate to the National Council of Provinces representing the Western Cape as a member of the Economic Freedom Fighters. Prior to serving in the NCOP, he was a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly. Gericke previously served as the founding president of the Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners, a minor political party in the Garden Route District Municipality, from 2011 until 2023.

Political career

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Gericke founded the Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners (English: Local Concerned Residents) in 2011.[2] The party won one seat in the council of the George Local Municipality in the 2011 municipal elections, and Gericke was elected to take up the party's sole council seat.[3] Gericke was re-elected to council in 2016. Following the election, he was elected to serve on the council of the Garden Route District Municipality.[4] Gericke was re-elected to a third term on the George municipal council in 2021. Afterwards, he was re-elected to the Garden Route district council. He was fielded as a mayoral candidate, but lost to incumbent Memory Booysen of the Democratic Alliance, winning only 15 votes to Booysen's 18 out of 33 votes.[5]

On 18 October 2023, Gericke resigned from the George municipal council and the Garden Route district council.[6] He resigned from the PBI and joined the Economic Freedom Fighters party the following day.[7] It was speculated that Gericke would be sworn in as a Member of Parliament for the EFF; he was sworn in as a member of the National Assembly on 20 October.[8] Gericke was appointed to the National Council of Provinces following the 2024 general election.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "PBI steun EFF in verkiesing". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  2. ^ "Pacaltsdorpers het talle appeltjies te skil". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  3. ^ "DA flying victory flag". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  4. ^ "Eden Council inauguration tomorrow". Suid-Kaap Forum. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  5. ^ "District council's new faces". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  6. ^ "Virgill Gericke bedank". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  7. ^ "Virgill Gericke nou EFF-lid". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  8. ^ "Gericke inaugurated as EFF MP". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  9. ^ "The permanent delegates for the WCPP to the NCOP are (fltr): Paul Swart (DA), Mathilda Bains (ANC), Bino Farmer (PA), Rikus Badenhorst (DA), Nicolas Gotsell (DA) an Virgil Gericke (EFF) | wcpp". www.wcpp.gov.za. Retrieved 2024-06-24.