Patricia Kopane
Quick Facts
Biography
Semakaleng Patricia Kopane is a South African politician, the Shadow Minister of Social Development, and a Member of Parliament for the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA). Since September 2012, she is also the provincial leader of the DA in the Free State.
Biography
Patricia Kopane is the DA's Shadow Minister of Health. She has worked as a professional nurse and has also worked for the Cancer Association of South Africa. She served as a Municipal Councillor for Mangaung Municipality before being elected to Parliament in 2009.
Political life
In May 2009, Kopane called for the public protector to investigate allegations that R4.3million of Reconstruction and Development Programme-designated funds had been spent on a pre-election party for President Jacob Zuma, and for food parcels to residents of Zuma's home town on the eve of the 2009 general election. The scandal forced Social Development Minister Edna Molewa to request the Special Investigation Unit to launch an investigation into the KwaZulu-Natal businessman, Mabheleni Ntuli, who had solicited the funds from the South African Social Security Agency.