Haniff Hoosen

EARLY LIFE & BACKGROUND

Born and raised in Chatsworth Hoosen began his political career during South Africa’s critical democratic transition. He first entered public office as a municipal councillor in Durban in 1996, where he witnessed firsthand the challenges and hopes of local governance in a new democracy. During this period, he served on the Executive Committee in the eThekwini Municipality. He played an active role in oversight and was fearless in raising his voice against corruption, mismanagement and service delivery failures.

POLITICAL CAREER – INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS

After serving time as a Councillor, Hoosen joined the Independent Democrats he was elected Secretary-General of the Independent Democrats (ID) in 2007. His main responsibilities during his term focused on growing the footprint of the party across the country and contributed to growing the number of ID councillors from a mere 5 councillors to 165 in a single election. In 2007, Hoosen entered the National Assembly and over the next 17 years, he would serve in Parliament with distinction under both the *Independent Democrats* and the *Democratic Alliance*, following the merger of the two parties.

POLITICAL CAREER – DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE

In 2010, following the merger/integration of the ID with the Democratic Alliance (DA), Hoosen became a DA Member of Parliament. In 2012, Hoosen was elected as the Provincial Chairperson for the Democratic Alliance, a position he held for about 8 years. During this period, he played a critical role in overseeing and planning several elections and was responsible for the over management of the Democratic Alliance in KZN.

PARLIAMENTARY CAREER

In 2014, following the National Elections, Hoosen was once again elected to Parliament as a DA member. He was appointed Shadow Minister of Home Affairs for five years.

In Parliament, Hoosen was known for holding the executive to account. He led calls for reforms at Home Affairs, exposed failings in service delivery, and worked tirelessly holding officials accountable for performance. He played a critical role in the Parliamentary Investigation on state capture probing the role of the Minister of Home Affairs on the awarding of citizenship to the Gupta family.

In June 2019, Hoosen was named Shadow Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. In this role, he travelled extensively across the country, conducting important oversight probes into the performance of municipalities. Hoosen became known as the fearless voice on the portfolio, exposing corruption and mismanagement by local politicians and officials in municipalities across South Africa.

In December 2020, Hoosen was assigned to be the DA’s spokesperson on the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General. With the support of the Auditor General, Hoosen was able to gain first-hand experience of corruption, mismanagement and wasteful expenditure patterns in municipalities across the country. He was known for raising his voice for strict accountability measures for corrupt officials and politicians to ensure financial accountability across government departments.

Hoosen remained an MP until February 2024, when he resigned after a 17 year career in Parliament to concentrate on his family business interests.

A PASSION FOR PERFORMANCE & PEOPLE

Hoosen’s work was not confined to Parliament. In 2016, and again in 2025, he was chosen as the DA’s mayoral candidate for eThekwini, driven by a vision to turn Durban into a city that works where streetlights shine, taps run, and people live with dignity.

He has spoken out against corruption, water and sewage failures, and mismanagement, offering instead a bold blueprint focused on restoring services, cleaning up townships, and investing in real change.

As a leader with experience across municipal, provincial, and national levels, Hoosen brings not just political acumen but an unshakable belief in clean, capable, people-first government.

Today, he stands as a symbol of hope — a public servant who never forgot where he came from, and who still believes that honest leadership can transform communities.

His candidature for mayor of eThekwini signals a shift from national oversight to localized action, emphasizing repair of basic services, cleansing of township infrastructure, tackling “water mafias,” and improving governance in Durban.

Hoosen frames his vision as restoring dignity to neighbourhoods, investing in townships, lighting streets, fixing water and sewage systems, and making the city work for all its people.

His political trajectory illustrates a move from national oversight roles to local governance ambition, with a desire to convert watchdog work into hands-on municipal delivery. His career spans municipal, provincial, and national levels, giving him a broad perspective on governance challenges across scales

PERSONAL INFO

Hoosen is married to Sharon, who was also a councillor and Member of the Kwa Zulu Natal Provincial Legislature. They have two children, Amarni and Waheed. Hoosen loves outdoor activities and is often found fishing when the time allows. He has also travelled quite extensively for both work and leisure. He is 53 years old.

Haniff Hoosen

POLITICIAN

LEADER

ACTIVIST

HUSBAND

FATHER

DURBANITE