Dr. Dion George is the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment of the Republic of South Africa since 3 July 2024.

Today he also holds a senior leadership role in the Democratic Alliance (DA) as Chair of the Federal Finance Committee. He was previously Regional Finance Chair in Gauteng South and Provincial Finance Chair in Gauteng. First elected in 2010, he served until the DA's Federal Congress in May 2015. He was re-elected in April 2018 and again in October 2020. He also serves on the party’s National Management Committee; Federal Executive and Federal Council.

Career

Dr George joined the Democratic Party in 1995 and, in 2005, was elected chairman of the DA branch in Sandown, Sandton. After the 2006 municipal elections, he served the City of Johannesburg as a PR councillor on various committees, including housing, finance and economic development and municipal accounts.

In January 2008, he took his seat in parliament on behalf of the DA where he served on the Portfolio Committee on Finance and as political head of the Sandton North and Midrand Constituency. In 2009 he was appointed as the Shadow Minister of Finance. He was later appointed to the Standing Committee On Public Accounts (SCOPA). In 2014 he was re-appointed Shadow Minister of Finance. In May 2015 he resigned his seat in the National Assembly.

In November 2018 he returned as a DA member of Parliament and served in the Select Committee on Finance in the National Council of Provinces as a permanent delegate from the Western Cape. He was appointed political head of the Beaufort West Constituency. From May 2019 he was appointed DA's Shadow Deputy Minister of Finance and elected Trustee of the Political Officer Bearers Pension Fund, and the political head of the Knysna Constituency.

Education

Dr George acquired a BA (Hons), MBA (Wits) and DBL (Economics) degrees and an advanced certificate in Municipal Governance. His MBA research report received the Investec Securities Prize for the Best Research in the Field of Investments. He also completed a Certificate Programme in Leadership Coaching and the Harvard Negotiation Course.