{{short description|South African politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Dion George | honorific_suffix = MP | image = Dion George 2024.jpg | caption = George in 2024 | office = Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment | president = Cyril Ramaphosa | term_start = 3 July 2024 | term_end = 12 November 2025 | predecessor = Barbara Creecy | successor = Willie Aucamp | deputy = Narend Singh<br />Bernice Swarts | office1 = Member of the National Assembly | term_start1 = 22 May 2019 | term_end1 = 15 January 2026 | term_start2 = 15 January 2008 | term_end2 = 1 June 2015 | office3 = Permanent Delegate to the National Council of Provinces | term_start3 = 15 November 2018 | term_end3 = 7 May 2019 | constituency_AM3 = Western Cape | birth_place = Durban, Natal Province<br />South Africa | birth_name = Dion Travers George | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|05|26|df=yes}} | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | party = Democratic Alliance | relations = | children = | citizenship = South African<br/>United States | alma_mater = {{plainlist| *University of the Witwatersrand *University of South Africa}} | occupation = | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Dion Travers George''' (born 26 May 1966) is a South African politician who served as the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries from July 2024 to November 2025. He was a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Alliance (DA) until January 2026.
After a career in the financial services industry, George entered party politics in 2005 when he was elected as chairman of the DA's branch in Sandown, Sandton, an upscale suburb of Johannesburg. Following two years in the Johannesburg City Council, he joined Parliament in January 2008 and became the DA's Shadow Minister of Finance in May 2009.
He served in the National Assembly from 2008 to 2015 and in the National Council of Provinces from 2018 to 2019, with a hiatus in the private sector between 2015 and 2018. He returned to the National Assembly in the May 2019 general election and joined the cabinet after the May 2024 general election, when the DA formed a coalition government with the African National Congress.
George was the DA's federal finance chairperson from April 2018 to January 2026. He formerly held the same office between 2010 and 2015.
==Early life and career== Dion was born on 26 May 1966'''<ref name=":122">{{Cite web |date=10 April 2024 |title=Final Candidate Lists for 2024 National and Provincial Elections: National Candidates |url=https://www.elections.org.za/pw/Documents/Candidates-List-NPE2024/National%20Candidates%20List.pdf |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=Electoral Commission of South Africa}}</ref>''' in Durban.<ref name="dapage">{{cite web |title=Dion George: Shadow Minister of Finance |url=http://www.da.org.za/our_people.htm?action=view-page&category=members-of-parliament&person=662 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920045124/http://www.da.org.za/our_people.htm?action=view-page&category=members-of-parliament&person=662 |archive-date=2011-09-20 |access-date=2 June 2025 |website=Democratic Alliance}}</ref> During his childhood he moved to Vanderbijlpark, where he completed high school. Thereafter he moved to Johannesburg to enroll in the University of the Witwatersrand,<ref name="dapage" /> where he completed a BA.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Engel |first=Kristin |date=2024-07-22 |title=South Africa's new environment minister takes a pragmatic approach |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-07-23-from-finance-to-forestry-and-fisheries-south-africas-new-environment-minister-takes-a-pragmatic-approach/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref>
After completing his undergraduate degree and compulsory service in the South African Defence Force, he worked in the financial services industry in Johannesburg.<ref name="dapage" /> He also received an honours degree in industrial and organisational psychology at the University of South Africa (Unisa), an MBA from Wits, and a doctor of business leadership from Unisa.<ref name=":2" />
Meanwhile, he joined the Democratic Party, later the Democratic Alliance (DA), in 1995, and in 2005 he was elected chairman of the DA's Sandown branch in the suburb of Sandton.<ref name="dapage" /> After the March 2006 local elections, he joined the City of Johannesburg council as a proportional-representation councillor for the DA.<ref name="dapage" />
== Parliamentary opposition ==
=== Shadow cabinet: 2008–2015 === thumb|George in July 2009 On 15 January 2008, George was sworn in to a DA seat in the National Assembly, the lower house of the South African Parliament.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2009-01-15 |title=National Assembly Members |url=http://www.pmg.org.za/parlinfo/nalist#_ftnref87 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514071402/http://www.pmg.org.za/parlinfo/nalist#_ftnref87 |archive-date=14 May 2009 |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=Parliamentary Monitoring Group}}</ref> He filled the casual vacancy that arose after Douglas Gibson resigned from his seat to become an ambassador.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-21 |title=MP Corner: Mr Dion George |url=https://pa.org.za/blog/mr-dion-george |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=People's Assembly |language=en}}</ref> George was elected to full terms in the seat in the April 2009 general election and May 2014 general election. He was appointed as Shadow Minister of Finance after the 2009 election, in Atholl Trollip's shadow cabinet,<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 May 2009 |title=DA shadow cabinet – full list of names |url=https://www.politicsweb.co.za/politics/da-shadow-cabinet--full-list-of-names |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=PoliticsWeb |language=en}}</ref> and he retained that position in Mmusi Maimane's shadow cabinet from 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Merten |first=Marianne |date=2014-06-06 |title=Maimane announces DA's shadow cabinet |url=https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2014-06-06-maimane-announces-das-shadow-cabinet/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=IOL |language=en}}</ref> The DA also named him as its constituency contact in Sandton North and Midrand.<ref name="dapage" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Dion George |url=http://www.pa.org.za/person/dion-travers-george/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=People's Assembly |language=en}}</ref>
In addition, for much of this period Dion served as the DA's federal finance chairperson. He was first elected to that office in 2010 and gained re-election at the party's November 2012 congress,'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 November 2012 |title=New – black and young – faces in the DA |url=https://www.news24.com/new-black-and-young-faces-in-the-da-20121125 |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref>''' prevailing in a contest against Alf Lees.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 November 2012 |title=DA voting completed |url=https://www.news24.com/southafrica/politics/da-voting-completed-20121125 |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref> However, when the DA's next federal congress was called in 2015, George did not stand for re-election;<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 April 2015 |title=The candidates for Federal Congress 2015 |url=https://www.politicsweb.co.za/politics/the-candidates-for-federal-congress-2015--da |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=PoliticsWeb |language=en}}</ref> instead, Lees was elected to succeed him at the conference in May 2015.<ref>{{cite web |date=10 May 2015 |title=Maimane is the new leader of the Democratic Alliance |url=http://citizen.co.za/379617/maimane-is-the-new-leader-of-the-democratic-alliance/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512054101/http://citizen.co.za/379617/maimane-is-the-new-leader-of-the-democratic-alliance/ |archive-date=2015-05-12 |access-date=2015-05-20 |work=The Citizen}}</ref>
On 1 June 2015, George resigned his seat in the National Assembly, ceding it to Brandon Topham.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=13 November 2018 |title=Fifth Parliament: List of Members |url=https://static.pmg.org.za/181113_NA_MEMBERS_ALPHABETIC.pdf |access-date=10 June 2018 |website=Parliamentary Monitoring Group}}</ref> David Maynier took over his portfolio in the shadow cabinet.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 June 2015 |title=David Maynier new DA Shadow Minister of Finance |url=https://www.politicsweb.co.za/politics/david-maynier-new-da-shadow-minister-of-finance--j |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=PoliticsWeb |language=en}}</ref>
=== National Council of Provinces: 2018–2019 === After his resignation, George returned to his private-sector career in finance.'''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Dion George |url=https://www.da.org.za/people/dion-george |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512010152/https://www.da.org.za/people/dion-george |archive-date=2019-05-12 |access-date=20 January 2021 |website=Democratic Alliance}}</ref>''' However, he reverted to politics before the end of that parliamentary term. In April 2018, he attended the DA's federal congress, where he was elected to return as federal finance chairperson, defeating Alf Lees's re-election bid.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 March 2018 |title=Maimane stands uncontested for re-election as DA leader |url=https://www.news24.com/maimane-stands-uncontested-for-re-election-as-da-leader-20180318 |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nicolson |first=Greg |date=2018-04-08 |title=DA Federal Congress: Trollip wins DA federal chair race but next hurdle – surviving a motion of no confidence – is already in sight |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-04-08-da-federal-congress-trollip-wins-da-federal-chair-race-but-next-hurdle-surviving-a-motion-of-no-confidence-is-already-in-sight/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref> Thereafter, on 15 November 2018, he was sworn in to a seat in the upper house of Parliament, the National Council of Provinces, where he filled a casual vacancy in the DA caucus.<ref name=":3" /> He was appointed as the DA's constituency contact in Beaufort West.
=== Return to the National Assembly: 2019–2024 === In the next general election in May 2019, George was elected to return to the National Assembly. He appointed as Shadow Deputy Minister of Finance, deputising Geordin Hill-Lewis,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gerber |first=Jan |title=Here's the DA's 'shadow cabinet' |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/heres-the-das-shadow-cabinet-20190605 |website=News24}}</ref> and he also served as the DA's constituency contact in Knysna. He retained his position as DA federal finance chairperson, gaining re-election uncontested at the party's federal congresses in October 2020 and April 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 October 2020 |title=DA announces leadership candidates |url=https://www.news24.com/da-announces-leadership-candidates-20201013 |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Naidoo |first=Sonri |date=2023-03-31 |title=Steenhuisen is likely to get a second term as DA leader at congress |url=https://mg.co.za/politics/2023-03-31-steenhuisen-is-likely-to-get-a-second-term-as-da-leader-at-congress/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
== National executive == George was re-elected to his parliamentary seat in the May 2024 general election, and, in line with the coalition agreement reached between the DA and African National Congress (ANC), President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed him as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Narend Singh of the IFP and Bernice Swarts of the ANC were appointed as his deputies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramaphosa |first=Cyril |date=30 June 2024 |title=Working together to 'serve the people': Ramaphosa names new Cabinet |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/read-in-full-working-together-to-serve-the-people-ramaphosa-names-new-cabinet-20240630 |access-date=2024-07-03 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref>
After his appointment was announced, George promised that he would not be an "extremist" in the portfolio and undertook to "continue the good work" of his predecessor, Barbara Creecy of the ANC.<ref name=":2" /> He said that his priority as minister would be climate finance and the just transition to a low-carbon economy.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ensor |first=Linda |date=3 July 2024 |title=SA must be sensible about climate change, says new environment minister Dion George |url=https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2024-07-03-sa-must-be-sensible-about-climate-change-says-new-environment-minister-dion-george/ |access-date=2 June 2025 |work=Business Day}}</ref> He also declared his interest in investigating how the environment portfolio could contribute to economic growth,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bega |first=Sheree |date=2024-07-03 |title=I'm focusing on the just transition, says new environment minister Dion George |url=https://mg.co.za/the-green-guardian/2024-07-03-im-focusing-on-the-just-transition-says-new-environment-minister-dion-george/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> especially in areas like coal-generating Mpumalanga that faced economic risks from decarbonisation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Engel |first=Kristin |date=2024-07-15 |title=New SA environment minister outlines priorities for the year |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-07-16-ambitious-actions-new-environment-minister-outlines-priorities-for-the-year/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref>
Later in 2024, George attended COP29 in Baku as a member of the South African delegation; he also co-chaired the conference's mitigation track, with his Norwegian counterpart Tore O. Sandvik.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-21 |title=Environment minister pushing for climate action breakthrough at COP29 |url=https://mg.co.za/the-green-guardian/2024-11-21-environment-minister-pushing-for-climate-action-breakthrough-at-cop29/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Paton |first=Carol |date=12 November 2024 |title=DA's Dion George heads to COP29 with much on his shoulders |url=https://www.news24.com/business/climate-future/minister-dion-george-didnt-know-what-cop-was-now-he-must-convince-world-leaders-to-cut-carbon-20241112 |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref>
On 12 November 2025, George was sacked from the national executive and replaced with DA spokesman Willie Aucamp, following a request from DA leader John Steenhuisen.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-12 |title=Ramaphosa announces cabinet reshuffle, fires DA minister Dion George |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2025-11-12-ramaphosa-announces-cabinet-reshuffle-firing-da-minister-dion-george/ |access-date=2025-11-17 |website=TimesLIVE |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Felix |first=Jason |title=Ex-DA minister George faces sexual misconduct claims amid bullying, lavish trips |url=https://www.news24.com/politics/dion-georges-ministerial-stint-marred-by-claims-of-abuse-sexual-misconduct-20251114-1216 |access-date=2025-11-17 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref>
On 21 November 2025, George announced that he would be suing for defamation. When news of his impending dismissal first leaked, concerns were raised by environmental groups, supportive of George's stance against captive hunting, and wary of his replacement Willie Aucamp's link with organised hunting groups.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pinnock |first=Don |date=November 9, 2025 |title=Sacking of Dion George: how a progressive minister is being taken down by the wildlife breeders |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-11-09-sacking-of-dion-george-how-a-progressive-minister-is-being-taken-down-by-the-wildlife-breeders/ |access-date=2025-11-21 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref> Shortly after, a flurry of articles about alleged sexual misconduct and other charges appeared in the media. George denied the claims, and stated that he believed he was fired because of his stand against illicit wildlife trafficking.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Rebecca |date=November 21, 2025 |title=Axed Environment Minister Dion George suing for millions for defamation |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-11-21-axed-environment-minister-dion-george-suing-for-millions-for-defamation/ |access-date=2025-11-21 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref>
George resigned his position as Chairperson of Federal Finance, as a Member of Parliament, and from the DA, in January 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |last=George |first=Dion |date=January 15, 2026 |title=Why I have chosen to leave the DA — Dion George |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-01-15-why-i-have-chosen-to-leave-the-da-dion-george/ |access-date=2026-01-16 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == George is gay and married. He was widowered in January 2019 when his late husband Michael died from complications arising from a traumatic brain injury he survived in 2011. He married Craig in September 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Rebecca |date=2013-05-06 |title=US gays' ultimate choice: For love or your country |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-05-07-us-gays-ultimate-choice-for-love-or-your-country/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=5 March 2025 |title=Dion George 'proud to be SA's first openly gay minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment' |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2025-03-05-dion-george-proud-to-be-sas-first-openly-gay-minister-of-forestry-fisheries-and-the-environment/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250428033147/https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2025-03-05-dion-george-proud-to-be-sas-first-openly-gay-minister-of-forestry-fisheries-and-the-environment/ |archive-date=2025-04-28 |access-date=2025-06-02 |work=Sunday Times |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
In November 2025, George confirmed that he also holds United States citizenship and that he used his American passport for official trips to the US as required by legislation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Westerdale |first=Jarryd |date=2025-11-09 |title=DA minister confirms dual US citizenship as removal from position discussed — report |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/da-minister-dual-us-citizenship-removal-from-position-discussed-report/ |access-date=2025-11-17 |website=The Citizen |language=en}}</ref>
==References== <references/>
==External links== * {{People's Assembly (South Africa)|id=dion-travers-george|name=Dion George}} {{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Kobus Marais}} {{s-ttl|title=South African Shadow Minister of Finance|years=2009–2015}} {{s-aft|after=David Maynier}} {{s-end}} {{Democratic Alliance (South Africa)}} {{South African Shadow Cabinet}} {{Ramaphosa third cabinet}}
{{DA National Assembly members}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:George, Dion}} Category:Living people Category:Democratic Alliance (South Africa) politicians Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2004–2009 Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2009–2014 Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2014–2019 Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2024–2029 Category:Politicians from Durban Category:Politicians from Gauteng Category:People from Vanderbijlpark Category:University of the Witwatersrand alumni Category:Members of the National Council of Provinces Category:South African gay politicians Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2019–2024 Category:1966 births