Dan Plato, the man set to become the next mayor of Cape Town, has an intriguing political history.
According to a curriculum vitae released by his office on Tuesday, he fought against apartheid on the Cape Flats in the 1980s, but joined the National Party before South Africa's first democratic elections.
The DA caucus in the city on Monday night chose Plato as its candidate to take over from Helen Zille, who was last week sworn in as Western Cape premier.
Plato, 48, said in the CV he had been involved in political activities "since high school level", particularly in Ravensmead and surrounding areas.
He "played a major role in rallying people against the former apartheid regime", he said.
"During 1990, I joined the National Party.
"With the merger of the former New National Party and the Democratic Party , I became a member of Democratic Alliance."
In 1996, he said, he was elected as a Cape Metro councillor, and the following year became a member of the council executive.
When Zille toppled the African National Congress from power in the city in 2006, he became mayoral committee member for housing, then this year was given mayoral committee (mayco) responsibility for service delivery and integration.
He had stood in for Zille on various occasions.
Plato said he was co-owner of National Pride Holdings Pty (Ltd), a company "involved in international trading".
He had served in various community organisations, including anti-tuberculosis structures.
Earlier on Tuesday, DA chief whip on the council Anthea Serritslev confirmed Plato had been given the nod.
"Caucus elected him as our candidate on Monday evening," she said.
She said Plato beat three other contenders for the post.
One of the three, mayco member for finance Ian Nielson, got the nod as deputy mayor instead.
A special council meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday to elect and install the new mayor.
The DA does not have a clear majority on the council, but Serritslev said the party had already been given "an indication" from some of its partners in the city government that they would support Plato and Nielson.
"We do have sufficient support to be confident that councillor Plato will move forward as mayor," she said.
The African Christian Democratic Party's Grant Haskin currently holds the deputy mayor's post, but the DA has accused the party of breaches of trust.
Cape Town is the only metro in South Africa not controlled by the ANC. - Sapa