Jan van Niekerk

Jan van Niekerk is a South African politician and MP for the Freedom Front Plus. He was born in Harrismith in the Free State and completed his schooling at Vrede High School. After school he worked in the US for one year. He studied at the University of the Free State where he played an active role in student leadership. As a student he was, among others, the house committee member for culture and was subsequently elected twice as primarius of his residence. This residence was chosen as the best managed residence under its leadership in both years. He served as a student parliamentarian for five years. Jan van Niekerk was the founding member of the Freedom Front Plus on the UFS campus. Under his leadership, the student organization twice won the student council elections. He was elected as the Provincial Youth Leader of the FF Plus in the Free State in 2006. In the same year he is also elected to the Free State Provincial Executive and also elected as National Youth Secretary. In 2009 he was elected as the Provincial Deputy Chairman of the party in the Free State. He is also elected in 2009 to the National Youth Leader and the Federal Executive of the FF Plus. During 2010 he becomes a member of the Free State Legislature and is appointed as the chairman of the Portfolio Committee for Agriculture. In 2011, he left the Legislature to farm full-time on his family. There he is elected chairman of the local farmers’ association. Jan was elected Provincial Leader of the FF Plus in the Free State in 2013 and the Federal Executive of the FF Plus. Later he was also elected Executive Director of the FF Plus. He is married to Marizelle, they have two sons and reside on a farm near Harrismith.