DA Confirms Death of Former Federal Chairperson and ex Queenian EK Moorcroft

Former Democratic Party Federal Chairperson EK Moorcroft Dies

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has announced the passing of Errol Knott Moorcroft, a former Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Party and long-serving parliamentarian who played a role in South Africa’s democratic transition.

In a statement issued on Sunday, DA leader John Steenhuisen MP expressed the party’s deepest condolences to Moorcroft’s family, friends, and colleagues, describing him as a committed servant of democracy whose contribution to the country’s political landscape spanned several decades.

Moorcroft, born in January 1940, received his early education at Queen’s College in Komani before continuing his studies at Grootfontein Agricultural College and Rhodes University. He later attended Oxford University after being awarded an Abe Bailey Scholarship, graduating in 1967.

Political Career and Public Service

Moorcroft entered Parliament in 1981 as the Progressive Federal Party Member of Parliament for Albany, during a period when opposition politics operated under significant restrictions.

Following the first democratic elections in 1994, he became a member of the Senate, later serving in the National Council of Provinces at a time when the Democratic Party held limited representation in Parliament. In 1997, he was appointed Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Party, succeeding Ken Andrew.

After returning to the National Assembly in 1999, Moorcroft served as Shadow Minister of the Environment and later as spokesperson on Agriculture, Land Affairs, Tourism, Water Affairs, and Forestry. He retired from active politics in 2004.

Life Beyond Politics

Outside of Parliament, Moorcroft was known for his background in agriculture and his interest in environmental conservation. Fluent in isiXhosa, he came from a farming family and returned to farming after leaving politics, settling at Clifton Farm near Adelaide in the Eastern Cape.

While not widely known locally in Komani, his connection to Queen’s College places him among the many former pupils whose careers later unfolded on a national stage.

Condolences

In its statement, the Democratic Alliance noted that Moorcroft’s leadership was marked by steadiness and institutional memory during a formative period for opposition politics in South Africa.

The party extended its condolences to Moorcroft’s family and loved ones, noting that his contribution to democratic governance would be remembered within South Africa’s political history.