Cameron Dugmore
Cameron Dugmore currently serves as a member of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature (MPL), where he is a member of the Standing Committees on Transport and Public Works, Education, and Cultural Affairs and Sport and the Department of the Premier.
Cameron matriculated at York High School in George in 1981, where was the Head Boy. He then attended the University of Cape Town where he obtained a B.A. Ll.B. While at UCT he was elected as President of the Law Students Council, and also as the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) Student Representative Council Vice-President and President. He became involved in the End Conscription Campaign and was one of the first conscientious objectors who publicly refused to be conscripted into the South African Defence Force. Military conscription was compulsory for white males at the time. Through his involvement in NUSAS he became involved in the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the broader anti-apartheid struggle.
After graduating he worked for the Legal Education Action Project providing legal education for communities facing detention and harassment. He was elected to the UDF Western Cape Interim Committee which was established after the elected leadership, including people like Trevor Manuel, were detained. The task of this committee was to organise an elective conference for the UDF and the Defiance Campaign of 1989.
Cameron then worked as UDF organiser for the Western Cape until dissolution of the Front. After this he worked for the Foundation for Contemporary Research and was involved in training community leaders for a future role in democratic local government.
He was elected to represent the ANC in the Western Cape Parliament in 1994 after the first democratic elections. He served as an MPL for three terms. This included serving as Member of the Executive Council for Education and Cultural Affairs and Sport from 2004 to 2009. While working in Minister Manuel’s office, Cameron supported the Minister in his role as ANC MP for Mitchell’s Plain, including all the events described in History.
He was appointed as special advisor to Minister Trevor Manuel, Minister in the Presidency for National Planning in 2010. He served in the Presidency until May 2014, when he was elected once again as an MPL for the ANC.
Cameron is married to Melanie and has three children, Aleya who is 14, Jenna who is 12 and Oliver who is 5.