{{Short description|South African politician (born 1948)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | party = African National Congress | office1 = Member of the National Assembly | term_start1 = May 1994 | term_end1 = May 2009 | citizenship = South Africa | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|08|14|df=yes}} | constituency1 = KwaZulu-Natal }}
'''Sybil Anne Seaton''' (born 14 August 1948) is a retired South African politician who represented the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in the National Assembly from 1994 to 2009, serving the KwaZulu-Natal constituency.
== Legislative career == Seaton was born on 14 August 1948.<ref name=":02">{{cite magazine |date=11 June 1999 |title=General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures |url=https://gazettes.africa/archive/za/1999/za-government-gazette-dated-1999-06-11-no-20203.pdf |magazine=Government Gazette of South Africa |location=Pretoria, South Africa |publisher=Government of South Africa |volume=408 |issue=20203 |pages= |access-date=26 March 2021}}</ref> She was elected to represent the IFP in the National Assembly in the 1994 general elections<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/13429370/south-africa-campaign-and-election-report-april-26- |title=South Africa: Campaign and Election Report April 26–29, 1994 |publisher=International Republican Institute |year=1994 |access-date=13 April 2023 |via=Yumpu}}</ref> and served three terms, gaining re-election in 1999<ref name=":02" /> and 2004;<ref>{{cite magazine |date=20 April 2004 |title=General Notice: Notice 717 of 2004 - Electoral Commission – List of Names of Representatives in the National Assembly and the Nine Provincial Legislatures in Respect of the Elections Held on 14 April 2004 |url=https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/262770.pdf |magazine=Government Gazette of South Africa |location=Pretoria, South Africa |publisher=Government of South Africa |volume=466 |issue=2677 |pages=4–95 |access-date=26 March 2021}}</ref> she represented the KwaZulu-Natal constituency. During her second term, she was the deputy chief whip of the IFP caucus;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pressly |first=Donwald |date=12 March 2004 |title=IFP lists its top contenders |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/ifp-lists-its-top-contenders-20040312 |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref> she continued in that position in her third term<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pressly |first=Donwald |date=23 May 2006 |title=R86m 'paid for new prisons' |url=https://www.news24.com/fin24/r86m-paid-for-new-prisons-20060523 |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=Business |language=en-US}}</ref> and later became the party's spokesman on correctional services.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-02-04 |title=IFP calls for probe into correctional services |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2009-02-04-ifp-calls-for-probe-into-correctional-services/ |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> In that capacity she argued that Parliament should "reconsider" the abolition of capital punishment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 June 2007 |title='End parole for child-killer monsters' |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/end-parole-for-child-killer-monsters-359421 |access-date=24 April 2023 |website=IOL}}</ref>
During her time in Parliament, Seaton spearheaded a campaign to improve MPs' remuneration packages. She raised the inadequacy of the prevailing package as early as 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grobler |first=Cobus |date=10 June 2003 |title=Parly doesn't pay |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/parly-doesnt-pay-20030610 |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=3 April 2007 |title=Salary increase not enough, say MPs |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/salary-increase-not-enough-say-mps-321618?page=3 |access-date=24 April 2023}}</ref> In 2008, she drafted a private member's bill to increase MPs' pension,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hamlyn |first=Michael |date=19 May 2008 |title=MPs want better pensions |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/mps-want-better-pensions-20080519 |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref> which received cross-partisan support and led to the formation of a multi-party task team that met with President Thabo Mbeki over pension packages.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 June 2008 |title=MPs in rare and unified stance over pensions |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/mps-in-rare-and-unified-stance-over-pensions-404543 |access-date=24 April 2023}}</ref> She retired ahead of the 2009 general election.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 April 2009 |title=DA whiz Coetzee leads party race for top role |work=IOL |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/da-whiz-coetzee-leads-party-race-for-top-role-441707 |access-date=24 April 2023}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seaton, Sybil}} Category:Living people Category:1948 births Category:African National Congress politicians Category:21st-century South African women politicians Category:20th-century South African women politicians Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 1994–1999 Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 1999–2004 Category:Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2004–2009 Category:Women members of the National Assembly of South Africa