Bronwyn Middlebrook

UK Deputy Chairperson

London, United Kingdom

I have lived in the UK for over 10 years but South Africa is still my home. The majority of my family and friends still live in South Africa and I plan to return with my partner one day so I am fully invested in the future of the vibrant and beautiful country I grew up in.

I was born in Johannesburg and moved to Durban at the age of 10. I then went on to complete my B. Com. Economics and Law degree at UCT before coming over to the UK. I currently work in finance and have a passion for South Africa and its politics. The DA Abroad has given me, and many people all around the globe, the platform on which they can be involved and have their voices heard.

I hope to inspire and encourage people from all backgrounds to contribute to the success of the rainbow nation for a brighter future for all!

Mariska Melinda de Wet

Committee Member

London, United Kingdom

Originally from Cape Town, Mariska is an Architectural Project Management professional and has been living in London for over 18 years. She is an active volunteer and involved with various roles within the DA Abroad UK with a focus on the Vote Home campaign strategies, activism and events. She is very passionate about the upcoming elections in 2024 and believes that DA governance will unlock South Africa’s full potential and lead the path to a prosperous nation.

Hayley Marshall

Committee Member

London, United Kingdom

An avid sports fan and supporter of everything South African, Hayley Marshall left South Africa to pursuit her career in television sport production in London, on the night of the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final. Her time in London was short lived as she was transferred to India within a year and spent seven years living, working and travelling around South East Asia and subsequently worked and travelled the world over.

Hayley’s mom is an active committee member of the DA in SA and Hayley volunteered on various campaigns over the years when time allowed.  Hayley is a passionate South African that has strong beliefs about the law and people’s rights.  The retention of citizenship and the right to vote while living abroad are subjects close to her heart and by joining the DA Abroad, Hayley hopes to make a valuable contribution by creating awareness and contributing towards making the change that is so needed.

Nana Mthembu

Committee Member

London, United Kingdom

Originally from KZN, Nana Mthembu has worked in primary healthcare in South Africa and the United Kingdom since 1995. She is a highly experienced, compassionate and solutions orientated healthcare professional dedicated to the promotion and provision of exceptional care, implementing the most effective treatment plans for adults.

Currently Nana is employed at one of the leading NHS hospitals in London in the prestigious Liver and Renal department at King’s College London Hospital. She is one of the bed managers and is the discharge coordinator within the Liver and Renal department.

Through her passion for South Africa, she took it upon herself to get involved in volunteering for the Democratic Alliance Abroad to engage herself in debates and encourage others to be aware of the level of corruption that is affecting her beautiful country. She uses social media to make people in South Africa and around the world aware of the trending news happening in South African politics. Nana regularly attends DA Abroad meetings and events in London, believing that the DA Abroad is the best means to making a substantive contribution to her beloved South Africa from the UK.

Phumzile Nsele

Committee Member

London, United Kingdom

Phumzile Nsele is originally from Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. She has been working for the past 19 years as a nurse in the Neuroscience Department at King’s College Hospital in London. She regularly is called in to provide emergency supply nursing services at hospitals around the UK.

Phumzile views South Africa as her home before anywhere else. Phumzile joined the DA because she has seen first-hand the rot that has set in through poor and corrupt governance, particularly in the healthcare sector in South Africa. She believes that through active participation in the DA Abroad UK one can contribute to our mother country, building a country that is free of corruption and works for all its citizens.

Ludre Stevens

DA Abroad Operations Chairperson and UK Committee Member

London, United Kingdom

I am honoured to have been the first UK Chairperson and former Leader of the DA Abroad. I was also the campaign manager for the DA Abroad campaign against the Nuclear power procurement deal and previously worked on the No To Secrecy and Vote Home campaigns.

I am a founding Trustee of the Ubunye-Unity Trust, a UK based charity in support of South African community development projects; on the United National Westminster Committee and run a Tech start-up called YuDoGlobal. I believe that the DA Abroad is vitally important as international pressure is the key to helping South Africa succeed.

William van der Merwe

Committee Member

London, United Kingdom

I have been living in the UK for several years, but I am a passionate South African and the more time passes the more I see how much can and needs to be done. I want the best for South Africa and all people within it, and I believe those abroad also have a role to play, and can make a difference.

I share the liberal democratic views of the DA and believe in an open society, where success is rewarded and all have equal opportunity regardless of their differences or background. I see government as a service to improve the lives of citizens.

The DA is an avenue for South Africans to contribute to the success of our country. There are many South African’s to engage abroad, and also much international awareness to be generated regarding South Africa and the need for accountability in government. The DA Abroad can make a significant and tangible impact, and I would like to facilitate driving that.