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Former Social Development Minister in the Western Cape Sharna Fernandez dies
Former Western Cape Minister of Social Development and Speaker, Sharna Fernandez, has died. Provincial DA leader, Tertuis Simmers, says Fernandez passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday night.
Fernandez began her community work in 2011 and later entered politics. Simmers says the deceased served as Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament from 2014 and as Minister of Social Development from 2019.
“Even after retiring from politics in 2024, she continued her humanitarian work.”
STATEMENT BY SPEAKER DAYLIN MITCHELL
It is with a great sense of sadness and loss that I learnt about the passing last night of former Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, Sharna Fernandez.
Ms Fernandez was sworn in as a Member of the fifth parliament of the… pic.twitter.com/rgU6mTqSvo
— WesternCapeProvParl (@WCProvParl) November 15, 2025
