Mogamad Nazier Paulsen

Mogamad Nazier Paulsen is a Western Cape-based Member of the National Assembly for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). He previously served as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. Paulsen is particularly known for threatening other party politicians, parliamentarians and ordinary individuals with violence.

Nazier Paulsen and his family had previously been part of the anti-apartheid movement. Paulsen was a member of the United Democratic Front. He obtained a BCom Honours degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Distributed Systems from the University of Cape Town. He was previously an Information and Technology lecturer at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He also served as the chairperson of the Mitchells Plain Community Development Corporation and the chairperson of the South African Progressive Civic Organisation (SAPCO).

Paulsen joined the Economic Freedom Fighters in 2013. He was the party's Western Cape Premier candidate for the 2014 general elections. The EFF won one seat in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. Paulsen consequently filled the seat on 21 May 2014.

In May 2015, the EFF redeployed him to the National Assembly of South Africa. Bernard Joseph succeeded him as the EFF's sole representative in the Provincial Parliament. He won a second term as a Member of Parliament in May 2019.

When Paulsen took office as a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, he was assigned a laptop. He resigned as a Member of the Provincial Parliament in May 2015 and initially refused to hand the laptop back. The Provincial Parliament approached the police and he was charged with theft. The charge was withdrawn in July 2019.

On 6 November 2018, Paulsen was involved in a fracas with Agang MP, Andries Tlouamma. In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa called on MPs to embrace non-racialism when interacting with one another. The footage of the occurrence was referred to Parliament's Disciplinary Committee.

In May 2019, Paulsen allegedly threatened to assault an unnamed member of the Black First Land First, an EFF splinter party.

On 15 August 2019, Paulsen appeared in court due to his alleged assault of a man that was parked outside of his ex-wife's house in early-August. His next court appearance was in September.

On 19 November 2019, Paulsen was asked to leave the National Assembly following his refusal to retract his statement that Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan appoints SOE staff based on race.