Fritz Schoon, son of former African National Congress (ANC) operative Marius Schoon, is contesting Johannesburg’s eastern Ward 64 as a Democratic Alliance (DA) candidate in the upcoming 2024 election. Schoon joined the DA approximately eight months before the election, approaching former DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia due to their shared ANC roots, he stated. "In my childhood, I had an awareness from my infancy that my family was strongly affiliated with the ANC," Schoon said, adding that the ANC of today is not the same organization that fought apartheid.
Schoon recounted his observations after returning to South Africa post-freedom. "The Arms Deal happens – it’s the post-1994 era. I thought I would see the same practice [of politicians stepping away when facing scandal]," he explained, noting a shift to a "culture of innocent until proven guilty." He further criticized a "pattern of insolence and culture of contempt for accountability" due to numerous scandals since then. Schoon believes Johannesburg's challenges stem from corruption and misallocated funds. "Joburg is the richest city in the country... Resource issues should not be the issue – must be allocated well," he remarked, advocating for systemic changes if the DA secures a majority.
A Legacy of Sacrifice
Fritz Schoon was born in Botswana in 1981. His father, Marius Schoon, had been imprisoned from 1964 to 1976 for sabotage against the apartheid state. Following his release, Marius Schoon was placed under a banning order. He met fellow activist Jeanette Curtis in 1976, and they married the following year. Their daughter Katryn was born in 1978.
The family later moved to Angola, where Marius and Jeanette continued their anti-apartheid work. On June 28, 1984, a letter bomb intended for Marius Schoon exploded in their Lubango home while he was away. Jeanette Schoon opened the letter bomb and was killed along with six-year-old Katryn. The parcel bomb was sent by apartheid intelligence operative Craig Williamson.
Reasons for Political Shift
Fritz Schoon, then a small child, also survived the 1984 bombing that killed his mother and sister. Former apartheid spy Craig Williamson later admitted responsibility for arranging the bombing. Williamson and Jerry Raven were granted amnesty in 2000 for their roles in the incident. Schoon's father, Marius Schoon, died of lung cancer in Johannesburg on February 7, 1999, at the age of 61.
Schoon stated that while his family was strongly affiliated with the ANC during his childhood, he has never been an ANC member in his adult life, believing it is "not the same ANC that fought against apartheid." He recounted his observations after returning to South Africa post-freedom, noting a shift from previous political practices. "The Arms Deal happens – it’s the post-1994 era. I thought I would see the same practice [of politicians stepping away when facing scandal]," Schoon said, referring to a culture he witnessed growing up in Ireland. Instead, he observed "a culture of innocent until proven guilty. It was a different way of handling public office."
Schoon further criticized a "pattern of insolence and culture of contempt for accountability" due to numerous scandals since that period. He joined the Democratic Alliance approximately eight months before the 2024 election, approaching former DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia due to their shared ANC roots. Schoon believes Johannesburg's challenges stem from corruption and misallocated funds, stating, "Joburg is the richest city in the country, backbone of SA, and resource issues should not be the issue – must be allocated well." He stood for election as a Gauteng Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) in 2024 but was not elected. Ward 64, where Schoon is contesting, includes Yeoville, Berea, all of Bertrams, and Judiths Paarl.
Campaign Focus and Vision
Fritz Schoon, who is now 45 years old, survived the 1984 parcel bomb explosion that killed his mother Jeanette and sister Katryn. Schoon stated that while his family was strongly affiliated with the ANC during his childhood, he has never been an ANC member in his adult life. "It’s not the same ANC that fought against apartheid," Schoon said. He recounted his observations after returning to South Africa, noting a shift in political practices. "The Arms Deal happens – it’s the post-1994 era. I thought I would see the same practice [of politicians stepping away when facing scandal]," Schoon explained, referring to a culture he witnessed growing up in Ireland. He added, "What I saw instead was a culture of innocent until proven guilty. It was a different way of handling public office." Schoon further criticized this shift, stating, "Since then, there have been so many scandals. There is a pattern of insolence and culture of contempt for accountability."
Schoon joined the Democratic Alliance approximately eight months before the 2024 election, approaching former DA MP Ghaleb Cachalia due to their shared ANC roots. "I said to him, we have similar upbringings coming from ANC roots," Schoon stated. He believes Johannesburg's challenges stem from corruption and misallocated funds. "Joburg is the richest city in the country, backbone of SA, and resource issues should not be the issue – must be allocated well," Schoon remarked, advocating for systemic changes if the DA secures a majority. He cited the "broken windows" concept for urban renewal, stating, "You fix one street at a time and you keep doing that."