DA Tshwane caucus spokesperson Kwena Moloto loves his hair and his city

The Tshwane caucus spokesperson of the Democratic Alliance (DA), Kwena Moloto, says his perfect day out in Pretoria is watching a big Blue Bulls or Mamelodi Sundowns game at Loftus Versfeld with friends.

He describes the stadium as the heart of Pretoria. Moloto is almost 30 years old and says he has not cut his hair in 20 years.

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“I love my hair and I love Loftus, especially when it’s fully packed. The energy is electric and magic, it gives me hope for the unifying of the people.

“When you are at Loftus, you don’t worry about load shedding or crime or potholes. You are focused on what makes our country so beautiful – our diversity,” he says.

Moloto comes from a diverse family. He says when he was in school, his friends were shocked to find that his mother was white and his father was black.

“My father was an ANC member and part of [uMkhonto we Sizwe] who went into exile when he was 18 years old.

“My mother is an American woman who has always loved Africa. They met in Zimbabwe, married and had me in America in 1994 before returning to South Africa nine months later,” he remembers.

Early political career

Moloto joined politics while he was studying history and anthropology at the University of Pretoria.

He says he became involved in student activism which he enjoyed so much that he ran for president of the student representative council and was approached by the DA’s student organisation in 2015.

“I didn’t know much about the DA and spent a few days reading through their information and spoke to a few people. I spoke to my dad and then I joined the party,” he adds.

Moloto says because his father came from an ANC background, many people thought he had gone against his family.

“That wasn’t the case, my whole family was very supportive of my decision. My grandfather didn’t want my dad to go into exile when he was 18, but he did it because it’s what he believed in.

“My family was supportive of my decision to do something I believed in. My dad is still an ANC supporter and he supports me.”

When Moloto is not in his DA shirt and chinos, he can be found spending time with his family. He says his mother is his inspiration.

“She’s a very, very special woman. As a single mother, she sacrificed everything we had and everything we needed to succeed in life.”

Moloto says his mother has been involved with youth and community work ever since he was in primary school.

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“She is like one of those unsung heroes who doesn’t need the spotlight or credit to go out and change people’s lives.

“If I could go out and help half the people she has helped in her life, I would be very successful,” he says.

Moloto says he is ready to be 30 this year, even if it comes with back pain and gastric reflux.

“I believe people get worried about turning 30 because they believe there are certain things they are meant to have achieved at that age.”

His next goals

He jokes he is now looking for a Mrs Moloto more than ever.

“I’m ready for marriage and kids. This job is demanding and there is a lot of pressure on you being in the public eye.”

He says his DA mentor, Helen Zille, told him to look for a partner who believes in the vision of building a better South Africa.

“I was on the DA young leaders programme in 2022 and was assigned to Zille as a mentor. It is a mentorship that has continued past the programme and she really has helped me a lot.”

Moloto says he once asked Zille how she handled burnout. She replied by saying that burnout didn’t exist when she was younger.

“I never asked that question again,” he laughs. Moloto describes himself as someone who likes to joke around, even in a political space.

“People mustn’t take themselves too seriously, I don’t take myself too seriously.”

He says because he loves Pretoria so much he wants to focus his political career in the City of Tshwane and serve the people of the place he loves so dearly.

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Another thing Moloto has come to love recently is meat. “Chisa nyama – the pap, wors and steak is my guilty pleasure, which is funny because I grew up as a vegetarian for most of my childhood,” he says.

Moloto only discovered meat in 2016 during a campaign with DA leader Solly Msimanga when he was so hungry he decided to eat a hamburger.

“I got so sick. I was advised to start with chicken. Now I eat so much meat it’s terrifying.”

This also led to Moloto learning to braai in his 20s. He now describes himself as a braai master after watching YouTube videos and going for training with Afrikaans uncles.

“It’s been a long journey from being a vegetarian to a braai master. I can challenge a few people,” he laughs. He says this is because he loves a challenge.

“I am very competitive, I hate losing, but I am not a sore loser. But I make sure that when I see you again, I win,” says Moloto.