Ryan Coetzee

Ryan Coetzee (born 8 January 1973) is a South African politician and political strategist, who has served as special adviser to Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Nick Clegg and was the 2015 General Election Director of Strategy at Liberal Democrat HQ. In 2016, he was director of strategy for the campaign for the UK to remain in the EU.

He previously served as a Member of South Africa's Parliament between 2004 and 2008, as CEO of South Africa's official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance between 2004 and 2009, and as the party's general election campaign chief in 2006, 2009, and 2011. He served as chief adviser to Western Cape Premier Helen Zille between 2009 and 2012.

Coetzee holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Higher Diploma in Education, both from the University of Cape Town.

In 1997 Coetzee was picked by DP leader Tony Leon to head up the party's parliamentary operations at the age of 24. Leon subsequently noted Coetzee's appointment as "the most significant" he made during his 13-year tenure as leader of the party. From 1999, Coetzee was the party's chief strategist, playing a central role in the party's election campaigns, which saw the DA grow from 1.7% in 1994 to 24.2% in the 2011 local government elections.

In April 2004 Coetzee became a Member of Parliament, and was assigned the shadow health portfolio. Six months later he famously asked then President Thabo Mbeki during a Parliamentary debate whether he believed the high rate of sexual violence in South Africa contributed towards the spread of HIV, and whether the President actually believed HIV causes AIDS. Mbeki responded by accusing Coetzee of succumbing to the "disease of racism", but avoided responding directly, thus reigniting criticism of his government's response to the pandemic.

In 2005, Coetzee was appointed the DA's CEO, in which role he radically reorganised the party and its finances, and designed and managed the 2006 local government election campaign and the 2009 general election campaign. In 2008, he oversaw a relaunch of the party designed to position it as a party of government, and not merely one of opposition.

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