# Jonathan Moakes

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**Jonathan Moakes** is a [South African](/source/South_African_people) political administrator and strategist who worked as [chief executive officer](/source/Chief_executive_officer) of the [Democratic Alliance](/source/Democratic_Alliance_(South_Africa)), the second largest [political party](/source/Political_party) in the country. He is now employed as chief of staff for party leader [Mmusi Maimane](/source/Mmusi_Maimane).[1]

## Background

Moakes was born in [Northampton](/source/Northampton), [England](/source/England) and moved to South Africa at the age of three months.[2] He was schooled in [Cape Town](/source/Cape_Town), and obtained a B.Com in [Economics](/source/Economics) and an [LLB](/source/LLB) from the [University of Cape Town](/source/University_of_Cape_Town), winning the UCT Law Faculty's Human Rights Moot Court competition in 2003.[3]

## Professional political career

He worked in the DA's fundraising department, succeeding [David Maynier](/source/David_Maynier) as the party's Director of Fundraising in July 2007.[2] In February 2008 he was appointed to head up the DA's [Western Cape](/source/Western_Cape) registration campaign, and also to oversee the party's support service operations. He was appointed Executive Director of Political Activity and Campaigns in July 2008, and worked alongside party CEO [Ryan Coetzee](/source/Ryan_Coetzee) in running the party's ground operations during the [2009 general elections](/source/2009_South_African_general_election).[2]

He subsequently succeeded Coetzee as the party's CEO in July 2009,[2] and now works as Chief of Staff for party leader [Mmusi Maimane](/source/Mmusi_Maimane).[1]

## Controversy

In August 2011, Moakes led a staff reshuffle at the DA's head office, which was criticized for leaving the party with an all-white team of top executives and including the hiring of his wife Khurshed as executive director of support services.[4] However, the party's federal executive chairperson [James Selfe](/source/James_Selfe) stated that Moakes had recused himself from his wife's hiring process.[5]

## References

1. du Plessis, Carien (14 May 2015). ["Moakes is back as Maimane’s chief of staff"](http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Moakes-is-back-as-Maimanes-chief-of-staff-20150514). *City Press*. News24. Retrieved 30 April 2017.

1. ["Jonathan Moakes - CEO of the Democratic Alliance"](https://swap.stanford.edu/20090916012921/http://www.da.org.za/our_people.htm?action=view-page&category=national-leaders&person=7236). Archived from [the original](http://www.da.org.za/our_people.htm?action=view-page&category=national-leaders&person=7236) on 2009-09-16.

1. ["Student mooters hone court skills"](http://www.pgfo.uct.ac.za/mondaypaper/archives/?id=3775)[dead link]

1. George Matlala (21 August 2011). ["DA in race row"](http://www.iol.co.za/sundayindependent/da-in-race-row-1.1121873#.VIzLJ3YXc3o). *[The Sunday Independent](/source/The_Sunday_Independent_(South_Africa))*. Retrieved 13 December 2014.

1. Selfe, James (24 November 2011). ["Sunday Independent story factually flawed"](http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=251956&sn=Detail&pid=71619). politicsweb.

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