{{Short description|South African politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Brandon Pillay | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | caption = | office = Member of the National Assembly of South Africa | constituency = National List | term_start = 27 January 2021 | term_end = 28 May 2024 | predecessor = Loyiso Mpumlwana | successor = | birth_name = Kavilan Brandon Pillay | birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|39|2021|2|2}} | birth_place = Chatsworth, Natal Province, South Africa | death_date = | death_place = | party = African National Congress | other_party = | spouse = | partner = <!--For those with a domestic partner and not married--> | relations = | children = | education = Chatsworth Secondary School | alma_mater = MANCOSA (BPA, Hon)<br />University of KwaZulu-Natal (MPA) | occupation = Politician | profession = | known_for = | committees = | awards = | website = }} '''Kavilan Brandon Pillay''' (born 1981 or 1982) is a South African politician from Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal. From January 2021 until May 2024, he was a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa representing the African National Congress.
==Early life and education== Pillay was born into an Indian family in Chatsworth. He attended Chatsworth Secondary School. He graduated from MANCOSA with a Bachelor of Public Administration and later with a Honours degree in public administration. Pillay earned a Master of Public Administration at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brandon Pillay |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-pillay-b176b285/ |website=Linkedin |access-date=8 July 2021}}</ref>
==Politics== His political activism started in his teenage years, having been influenced by his late father.<ref name="IOL">{{cite news |last1=Soobramoney |first1=Viasen |title=Former Chatsworth councillor, Brandon Pillay off to parliament |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/former-chatsworth-councillor-brandon-pillay-off-to-parliament-29692c8f-759e-40b8-8b31-9668073838c0 |access-date=8 July 2021 |newspaper=Independent Online |date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708203825/https://www.iol.co.za/news/former-chatsworth-councillor-brandon-pillay-off-to-parliament-29692c8f-759e-40b8-8b31-9668073838c0 |archive-date=8 July 2021 |location=Cape Town}}</ref> He became an activist for the Bayview Flat Residents Association and later the African National Congress.<ref name="IOL" /> Pillay was a student leader, Students' Representative Council president, ward councillor for ward 69 (Chatsworth) from 2011 to 2016, convenor and chairperson of ward 69 ANC branch, secretary of the Lenny Naidu branch and convenor of the regional executive committee's sub-committee on local government, legislature and governance. He also served as the convenor of the youth desk of the South African National Civic Organization.<ref name="RSC">{{cite news |title=Local activist sworn into parliament |url=https://risingsunchatsworth.co.za/170936/local-activist-sworn-into-parliament/ |access-date=8 July 2021 |newspaper=Rising Sun Chatsworth |date=2 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708204051/https://risingsunchatsworth.co.za/170936/local-activist-sworn-into-parliament/ |archive-date=8 July 2021}}</ref> Pillay is currently a member of the ANC's regional task team.<ref name="RSC" />
Prior to being sworn in as a Member of Parliament, Pillay had been the chairperson of both the Bayview Flats Residents Association and the Bayview community policing forum,<ref name="RSC" /> as well as a grant manager for the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.<ref name="IOL" />
===Parliament=== Following the death of Advocate Loyiso Mpumlwana in December 2020, the ANC selected Pillay to take up his seat in the National Assembly.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ndenze |first1=Babalo |title=5 new ANC MPs sworn-in to replace those lost to COVID-19 |url=https://ewn.co.za/2021/01/27/5-new-anc-mps-sworn-in-to-replace-those-lost-to-covid-19 |access-date=8 July 2021 |newspaper=Eyewitness News |date=27 January 2021 |location=Cape Town}}</ref> Pillay was sworn in on 27 January 2021 during a virtual ceremony at the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature amid the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.<ref name="RSC" /> Since entering parliament, he has served on the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs :: People's Assembly |url=https://www.pa.org.za/organisation/portfolio-committee-on-home-affairs/ |website=People's Assembly |access-date=8 July 2021}}</ref>
Pillay did not stand for a full term in the 2024 general election and retired from politics at the election.<ref>https://www.iol.co.za/thepost/community-news/im-leaving-parliament-to-be-with-my-family-ancs-brandon-pillay-503b3190-b657-4fe0-99f3-466015b036be</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{People's Assembly (South Africa)|kavilan-brandon-pillay|Mr Kavilan Brandon Pillay}} *[https://www.parliament.gov.za/person-details/3804 Profile] at Parliament of South Africa *{{Twitter|brandonpillay1}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillay, Brandon}} Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Politicians from KwaZulu-Natal Category:University of KwaZulu-Natal alumni Category:African National Congress politicians Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2019–2024 Category:South African politicians of Indian descent