Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (South Africa) in the context of Tswana language

Deputy minister is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. A deputy minister is positioned in some way "under" a minister, who is a full member of Cabinet, in charge of a particular standing policy portfolio, and typically oversees an associated civil service department. Depending on the jurisdiction, a "Deputy minister" may be a Cabinet minister who regularly acts as and for a more senior cabinet minister (rare except in the case of "Deputy Prime Minister"), a junior minister assigned to assist a cabinet minister, an elected member of the governing party or coalition assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister "from the back benches" (i.e., not part of the Cabinet, Government or Ministry) or a non-elected head of a civil service department taking political direction from a Cabinet minister.

• Bangladesh: A Deputy minister is junior to a Minister of a Department of State (portfolio minister) and of similar standing to a Parliamentary Secretary.
• Canada: The Deputy minister is the senior civil servant in a government department and takes political direction from an appointed minister of the Crown.
• Japan: A Deputy Minister assists the work of the Cabinet of Japan.
• Malaysia: A Deputy minister is not a member of the Cabinet and also called half minister. It is secondary to and ranked below ministers. Deputy ministers deputise for ministers. A ministry usually has one or two deputy ministers.
• Netherlands: A State Secretary is the title of a junior member of the Cabinet of the Netherlands.
• Poland: The ministries are staffed by secretaries of state and undersecretaries of state, commonly referred to as deputy ministers. Their task is to assist the Minister and replace him if necessary. Main article: Secretary of state (Poland) [pl]
• South Africa: A Deputy Minister is secondary to cabinet ministers. The Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet also has deputy shadow ministers.
• Sri Lanka: A Deputy ministers are junior ministers ranking below that of cabinet minister and State Minister. It is similar to the pre-1972 post of Parliamentary Secretary.
• Tanzania: The Deputy ministers are junior ministers, and are usually not members of the government's cabinet.
• Timor-Leste: The Government, which comprises the Prime Minister, Ministers and Secretaries of State, may include one or more Deputy Prime Ministers and Deputy Ministers.

Annelie Lotriet (born 8 June 1960) is a South African politician who is currently serving as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa since June 2024. She has served in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet since she joined the National Assembly in 2009. She is also a Deputy Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Council.

Born in Johannesburg, Lotriet spent the first two decades of her career as an academic in the Free State, teaching at Vista University and then at the University of the Free State. After one term as a local councillor in Mangaung, she entered politics full-time at the 2009 general election. She went on to serve as Shadow Minister of Arts and Culture from 2009 to 2012, Shadow Minister of Higher Education and Training from 2012 to 2014, Shadow Minister of Science and Technology from 2014 to 2019, and DA Caucus Chairperson from 2019 to 2022. Most recently, she was Opposition Deputy Chief Whip from August 2022 to June 2024.

The leader of the opposition in South Africa is the leader of the largest political party in the National Assembly that is not in government. The House of Assembly was the most important House from 1910 to 1994 and the National Assembly from 1994. The leader of the opposition acts as the public face of the opposition, leading the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet and the challenge to the government on the floor of Parliament. They thus act as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the opposition as a feasible alternate government.

The position of opposition leader in the National Assembly is currently held by John Hlophe of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), who was appointed on 25 June 2024.