Nomsa Innocencia Tarabella Marchesi (born 2 July 1970) is a South African politician who, as of August 2023 is Rise Mzansi's Free State Convenor. From 2014 until August 2023, she served as a member of the

National Assembly of South Africa The National Assembly is the directly elected house of the Parliament of South Africa, located in Cape Town, Western Cape. It consists of four hundred members who are elected every five years using a party-list proportional representation sy ...

as a member of the Democratic Alliance.

Early life and education

Marchesi was born in

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein ( ; ), also known as Bloem, is the capital and the largest city of the Free State (province), Free State province in South Africa. It is often, and has been traditionally, referred to as the country's "judicial capital", alongsi ...

, Free State on 2 July 1970. She attended Vulamasango High in

Mangaung Bloemfontein ( ; ), also known as Bloem, is the capital and the largest city of the Free State province in South Africa. It is often, and has been traditionally, referred to as the country's "judicial capital", alongside the legislative cap ...

and later moved to Wedela High, near

Potchefstroom Potchefstroom ( ; ), colloquially known as Potch, is an college town, academic city in the North West (South African province), North West Province of South Africa. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. Potchefstro ...

. She studied at

University of the Free State The University of the Free State (; Sotho language, Sesotho: ''Yunivesithi ya Freistata'') is a multi-campus public university in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State (province), Free State and the judicial capital of South Africa. It wa ...

, earning a BSc in microbiology and biochemistry. She later studied in Ireland and worked there in clinical research. Marchesi returned to South Africa to obtain an honors degree in Pharmacology and work as a researcher also at the University of the Free State.

Politics

Marchesi joined the Democratic Alliance in 2013. In 2014, she was elected as a member of

Parliament of South Africa The Parliament of the Republic of South Africa is South Africa's legislature. It is located in Cape Town; the country's legislative capital city, capital. Under the present Constitution of South Africa, the bicameralism, bicameral Parliamen ...

. She served as a

Whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

in the

Shadow Cabinet of Mmusi Maimane The Shadow Cabinet of Mmusi Maimane was formed on 5 June 2014 in South Africa following his election as Parliamentary Leader of the Democratic Alliance (South Africa), Democratic Alliance and Leader of the Opposition on 29 May 2014. The Democratic ...

. She was also a member of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education in South Africa's parliament. On 21 April 2023, Marchesi became Shadow Deputy Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, and an Additional Member on Police with a focus on gender-based violence. On 15 August 2023, after 10 years as a representative for the DA, Marchesi resigned, giving up her position as a member of parliament. She joined many black former members of the DA who resigned from the party citing its lack of inclusivity for black members. Leaving the DA, she opted to join political party

Rise Mzansi Rise Mzansi (RISE) is a South African political party founded in April 2023. It is led by Songezo Zibi, a former newspaper editor and co-founder of the ''Rivonia Circle'' think tank. The party characterises their ideology as social democratic bu ...

, becoming the party's Free State convenor. Marchesi said that Rise Mzansi's value's more closely aligned with her own and that unlike the DA, it was, in her words, "not a one man show".

References

External links

Twitter

Facebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marchesi, Nomsa Living people 1970 births Women members of the National Assembly of South Africa Rise Mzansi politicians People from Bloemfontein Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2019–2024 Members of the National Assembly of South Africa 2014–2019