Virgill Gericke

South African politician

Virgill Gericke MP

Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 October 2023
President of the Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners
In office 2011 – 19 October 2023
Preceded by	Party created
Succeeded by	Roselien Titus (acting)^[1]

Personal details
Political party	Economic Freedom Fighters (2023–present)
Other political affiliations	Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners (2011–2023)

Virgill Gericke is a South African politician who has been a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa since October 2023, representing the Economic Freedom Fighters. 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

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]

References

^ "PBI steun EFF in verkiesing". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
^ "Pacaltsdorpers het talle appeltjies te skil". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
^ "DA flying victory flag". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
^ "Eden Council inauguration tomorrow". Suid-Kaap Forum. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
^ "District council's new faces". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
^ "Virgill Gericke bedank". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
^ "Virgill Gericke nou EFF-lid". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
^ "Gericke inaugurated as EFF MP". George Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-20.