{{short description|South African politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Kevin Mileham | honorific_suffix = MP | image = Kevin Mileham.png | alt = | caption = Mileham during a parliamentary debate in September 2019 | small_image = | office3 = Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance Buffalo City Caucus | term_start3 = May 2011 | term_end3 = June 2013 | predecessor3 = | office4 = Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance Ndlambe Caucus | term_start4 = April 2006 | term_end4 = May 2011 | birth_name = Kevin John Mileham | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|04|23|df=y}} | birth_place = Durban, South Africa | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = University of the Witwatersrand | party = Democratic Alliance | relations = | spouse = Natasha Mazzone | civil partner = | children = | occupation = Politician | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Kevin John Mileham''' (born 23 April 1971) is a South African politician, a Member of the South African Parliament for the Democratic Alliance and the Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy. Mileham was first elected to Parliament on 3 June 2013, replacing Athol Trollip.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/mileham-to-fill-trollips-shoes-in-parliament-soon/ | title=Mileham to fill Trollip's shoes in Parliament soon | access-date=9 November 2014 | archive-date=9 November 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109215445/http://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/mileham-to-fill-trollips-shoes-in-parliament-soon/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> His first parliamentary role was as the Shadow Deputy Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development. After the 2014 National Elections, he was appointed the Shadow Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. In February 2019, he was appointed as Shadow Minister of Energy. After the National and Provincial Elections on 8 May 2019, Mileham was appointed as Shadow Minister of the expanded portfolio of Mineral Resources and Energy.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.da.org.za/2019/06/the-das-new-shadow-cabinet-ready-to-make-parliament-work-for-the-people/ | title=The DA's new Shadow Cabinet ready to make Parliament work for the people}}</ref> Mileham was re-elected to Parliament in 2024.
==Background==
Mileham matriculated with academic honours from Selborne College in East London in 1988 and went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce (Legal) degree from the University of the Witwatersrand. He continued his studies to obtain a post-graduate Diploma in Advertising and Marketing from AAA School of Advertising.<ref name="whoswhoSA">{{cite web |title=Kevin Mileham |url=http://whoswho.co.za/kevin-mileham-26534 |website=Who's who SA |access-date=26 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150126141939/http://whoswho.co.za/kevin-mileham-26534 |archive-date=26 January 2015}}</ref>
Post studies, he commenced work for The Jupiter Drawing Room, a South African advertising agency, handling brands such as Coca-Cola and 5FM. In 1996, he was employed by Coca-Cola to launch the Powerade sports drink in South Africa. In 1998 he joined Microsoft South Africa as a marketing manager, initially only covering consumer products, but later promoted to include all desktop applications (including Microsoft Office and Windows) for both the consumer and business sectors.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Enterprise |year=2001 |volume=151-154 |pages=103 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eo22AAAAIAAJ |access-date=26 June 2020 |quote=Comments Kevin Mileham. product marketing manager at Microsoft South Africa}}</ref> In 2001, he relocated to the Eastern Cape, where he founded his own marketing and management consultancy business, Forward Momentum.<ref name="whoswhoSA" />
Mileham has two children from his first marriage to Laura Guest. He married fellow Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament, Natasha Mazzone in July 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lindwa |first1=Buhle |title=DA's Natasha Mazzone gets candid about life outside parliament |url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/women-in-politics-natasha-mazzone/ |access-date=26 June 2020 |agency=The South African|date=8 August 2019}}</ref>
==Politics== Mileham was actively involved in party politics for the former Democratic Party as a party agent and activist during the 1994 and 1999 elections. In 2003, he became actively involved in local politics. He joined the Democratic Alliance in Port Alfred (Ndlambe Local Municipality) where he was soon appointed constituency chairperson. In 2006, he was elected to the Ndlambe municipal council, and appointed as the party's Chief Whip and finance spokesperson.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mr Kevin Mileham (DA) |url=https://www.pa.org.za/blog/mr-kevin-mileham-da-blog |website=People's Assembly |date=29 October 2018 |access-date=26 June 2020}}</ref>
In 2007, Mileham was selected to be part of the first class of Democratic Alliance's Young Leaders Programme.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/politics/2014/05/21/crop-of-young-da-mps-product-of-internal-development-plan|title= Crop of young DA MPs product of internal development plan |website=www.bdlive.co.za|language=en|access-date=2017-11-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://mg.co.za/article/2014-01-27-da-young-leaders-programme-comes-of-age|title=DA crop of young leaders come of age|last=Pillay|first=Verashni|work=The M&G Online|access-date=2017-11-21 |language=en}}</ref> In 2009, he stood unsuccessfully for Parliament. In 2011, he was elected as a municipal councillor to the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, and was appointed as the DA's Chief Whip.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Deklerk |first1=Aphiwe |title=Ntame named as DA chief whip in BCM |url= https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2013-06-18-ntame-named-as-da-chief-whip-in-bcm/ |access-date=18 June 2013 |agency=DispatchLIVE |date=26 June 2020|quote=The vibrant 28-year-old replaces Kevin Mileham, who takes up a position in Parliament.}}</ref>
In 2013, following the death of Pine Pienaar, a member of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, the DA's provincial leader Athol Trollip elected to return to the province following his reelection defeat to Lindiwe Mazibuko for the position of DA Parliamentary Leader. The DA selected Mileham to fill the seat.<ref>{{cite news |last1=George |first1=Zine |title=Mileham to fill Trollip's shoes in Parliament soon |url=https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2013-05-13-mileham-to-fill-trollips-shoes-in-parliament-soon/ |access-date=26 June 2020 |newspaper=DispatchLIVE |date=13 May 2013}}</ref> Mazibuko appointed him Shadow Deputy Minister for Land Reform and Rural Development.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gwarube |first1=Siviwe |title=Shadow Cabinet tweaked - DA |url= https://www.politicsweb.co.za/party/shadow-cabinet-tweaked--da |access-date=26 June 2020 |agency=Politicsweb |date=6 June 2013}}</ref>
After his re-election in 2014, Mileham was appointed the Shadow Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs by the new Leader of the Opposition, Mmusi Maimane.<ref>{{cite news |title=DA announces new shadow ministry |url= https://businesstech.co.za/news/trending/59781/da-announces-new-shadow-ministry/ |access-date=26 June 2020 |newspaper=BusinessTECH |date= 5 June 2014}}</ref> During tenure as Shadow Minister of COGTA, Mileham laid criminal charges against people involved in the VBS Mutual Bank scandal.<ref>{{cite news |title=DA lays charges against the #VBS50 |url=https://www.iol.co.za/ios/news/da-lays-charges-against-the-vbs50-17442319 |access-date=28 June 2020 |date=11 October 2018 |location=Cape Town}}</ref> In February 2019, he was appointed as Shadow Minister of Energy. He held this position until June 2019, when Maimane appointed him as Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nkanjeni |first1=Unathi |title=DA shadow cabinet: What you need to know |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2019-06-06-da-shadow-cabinet-what-you-need-to-know/ |access-date=26 June 2020 |newspaper=TimesLIVE |date=6 June 2019}}</ref>
On 21 June 2021, Mileham became a member of the Committee for Section 194 Enquiry which was established to determine Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane's fitness to hold office as Public Protector.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Maqhina|first=Mayibongwe|date=23 June 2021 |title=Busisiwe Mkhwebane impeachment committee reconstituted|work=IOL|url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/busisiwe-mkhwebane-impeachment-committee-reconstituted-67dd0cbb-535b-4793-a15f-1279fd877a26|access-date=22 July 2021}}</ref>
Mileham was re-elected to Parliament in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 400 MPs elected to the National Assembly - IEC - DOCUMENTS {{!}} Politicsweb |url=https://www.politicsweb.co.za/documents/the-400-mps-elected-to-the-national-assembly--iec |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=www.politicsweb.co.za |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.pa.org.za/person/kevin-john-mileham/ People's Assembly profile] * [https://twitter.com/kmileham Profile] on Twitter {{Current MPs of South Africa}}
{{S-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | title = South African Shadow Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform | years = 2013–2014 | before = Mpowele Swathe | after = Thomas Walters }} {{succession box | title = South African Shadow Minister of Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs | years = 2014–2019 | before = John Steenhuisen | after = Joe McGluwa }} {{succession box | title = South African Shadow Minister of Energy | years = Feb 2019 – Jun 2019 | before = Gavin Davis | after = Position dissolved }} {{succession box | title = South African Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources & Energy | years = Jun 2019 – June 2024 | before = ''Position established'' | after = ''Position Vacant'' }}{{s-inc}} {{S-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mileham, Kevin}} Category:Living people Category:1971 births Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2024–2029 Category:Democratic Alliance (South Africa) politicians Category:Alumni of Selborne College Category:University of the Witwatersrand alumni Category:Politicians from the Western Cape Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2019–2024 Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2009–2014 Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2014–2019