Zelda Jongbloed

Zelda Jongbloed (née Erasmus; 3 October 1950 – 21 July 2018) was a veteran South African journalist and politician. She was a Member of the National Assembly for the Democratic Alliance from 2014 to 2018. She was Shadow Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Shadow Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration. Jongbloed worked for the Rapport and Die Burger in senior positions.

Life and career Zelda Erasmus was born on 3 October 1950 in Great Brak River in the Cape Province. She obtained a BA degree in education from the University of the Western Cape. She later achieved an MA degree in journalism from Rhodes University.

She had been a journalist for 40 years. She began her career as a cadet reporter for the Cape Herald. In 1976, she and her then-husband started the Herald Het Suid Western weekly newspaper in the town of George. By that time, she had also started doing work for the Rapport newspaper.

She sat on several parliamentary committees. The committees included: the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, and the Multiparty Women's Caucus Committee.

Death and legacy Jongbloed died of cancer on 21 July 2018 in her home in the Mowbray suburb of Cape Town. She was 67 at the time of her death. Upon her death, the Democratic Alliance released a statement in which they praised Jongbloed. Her funeral was held on 28 July 2018 in her hometown of Great Brak River.