Catherine Maria Jacobs

Catherine Maria Jacobs was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1983. Her involvement in politics and activism began 13 years ago when she joined the Democratic Alliance party. She was first elected as an interim branch chairwoman in the Drakenstein seat, and she was re-elected as the branch chairperson for her ward in 2020. She is also a member of Drakenstein’s constituency executive committee.

In 2020, Catherine finished the IFLRY female leadership program. She provides leadership training and encourages others to participate in her structures.

Catherine is a contender for the upcoming municipal elections in South Africa. She is passionate about community development because she believes that everyone should have an equal opportunity to grow and succeed, to become sustainable, and to live in safe, healthy societies.

Her goals include being a leader who makes people feel safe enough to confide in her, implementing systems to improve the quality of life for all, educating communities so they are well informed to make good decisions, ending poverty within communities by assessing the local economy and driving opportunities for positive economic growth, and encouraging everyone to participate in the development and building of their community.

Our mission and vision

The network’s mission is to support and empower political parties, organisations, networks, think tanks and individuals, to grow their support, to increase their influence on politics and implement policies of good governance when in government.

In partnership with our members and strategic partners, the network advocates for values of freedom and the individual choice of association across the continent by:

• Championing Liberal policy solutions to Africa’s challenges;

• Capacitating Liberal Democratic member parties with innovative skills, necessary to win elections and lead governments;

Providing a platform for like-minded advocates of good governance, to network and share experience, skills and ideas;

All members of the network are bound by statutory obligations affirming allegiance to ensure the freedoms and dignity of all people, through establishing political and civil rights, upholding the rule of law, supporting democratic governance based on free and fair elections with peaceful transition, ensuring religious, gender and minority rights, fighting corruption and supporting economic freedom, regional integration and free trade opportunities, like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).