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Gesie van Deventer

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Councillor
Gesie van Deventer
Van Deventer in 2021
Executive Mayor of the Stellenbosch Local Municipality
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 August 2016
DeputyJeremy Fasser (2021–present)
Nyaniso Jindela (2020–2021)
Wilhelmina Petersen (2019–2020)
Nyaniso Jindela (2016–2019)
Preceded byConrad Sidego
Executive Mayor of the Drakenstein Local Municipality
In office
May 2011 – 11 May 2016
DeputyConrad Poole
Preceded byCharmaine Manuel
Succeeded byConrad Poole
Personal details
Born
Gesina Maria Magdalena van Deventer

(1958-09-24) 24 September 1958 (age 66)
Vanrhynsdorp, Cape Province, South Africa
Political partyDemocratic Alliance
Children2
Alma materStellenbosch University
Elsenburg College of Agriculture
ProfessionPolitician
Advocate
Farmer

Gesina Maria Magdalena "Gesie" van Deventer (born 24 September 1958) is a South African politician, farmer and advocate who has served as the Executive Mayor of the Stellenbosch Local Municipality since 2016. A member of the Democratic Alliance, she previously served as the Executive Mayor of the neighbouring Drakenstein Local Municipality from 2011 to 2016.

Early life and career

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Van Deventer was born on 24 September 1958 in Vanrhynsdorp in the former Cape Province (now known as the Western Cape). She started working at a young age to support her family. She went on to study at Stellenbosch University and earned two degrees. In 1981, she qualified as an advocate and was admitted to the Supreme Court of South Africa.[1]

Van Deventer then decided to pursue wine as a career. She enrolled as one of the first female students at the Elsenburg College of Agriculture in 1990.[1] The following year, she earned her diploma in viticulture and botany (cum laude), which she followed up with a diploma as cellar master and winemaker in 1992. Over the next few years, she was a winemaker fulltime.[1]

In 2001, she won the Winemaker & Female Farmer of the Year Award. In 2003, she won the Farmer of the Year title for both genders and was appointed as the chairperson of the Paarl Vintners Board of Directors.[1]

Her surname derives from the Dutch town of Deventer.

Political career

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Van Deventer later joined the Democratic Alliance. She was nominated as the party's mayoral candidate for the Drakenstein Local Municipality for the local government elections of 18 May 2011.[2] The DA won a majority of seats on the council, defeating an ANC-led coalition that had previously governed the municipality.[3] Van Deventer was then elected mayor with former Independent Democrats councillor Conrad Poole as her deputy.[citation needed]

Van Deventer was elected to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in the 2014 provincial election, however, she decided to give up her seat in order to continue serving as mayor of the Drakenstein.[4] Former Cederberg Local Municipality councillor Matlhodi Maseko was appointed to take up Van Deventer's seat in the provincial parliament.[5]

In 2016, Stellenbosch mayor Conrad Sidego announced that he would not be running for re-election as mayor. Van Deventer was nominated as the DA's mayoral candidate for Stellenbosch and resigned as Drakenstein mayor in May 2016.[6] Her deputy, Conrad Poole, was voted in as her successor.[7] The DA achieved a landslide victory in the Stellenbosch Local Municipality in the election on 3 August 2016.[8] On 15 August 2016, Van Deventer was elected mayor with councillor Nyaniso Jindela as her deputy.[9]

In November 2019, Jindela was elected speaker while councillor Wilhelmina Petersen was elected deputy mayor.[10][11] A year later, Jindela and Petersen swapped positions.[12]

In September 2021, Van Deventer was renominated as the DA's mayoral candidate for the Stellenbosch Local Municipality for the election of 1 November 2021.[13] The DA retained control of the municipality, albeit with a smaller majority in the municipal council.[14]

On 15 November 2021, Van Deventer was re-elected as mayor for a second five-year term. Her re-election made history as she is the first mayor of the Stellenbosch municipality to serve two consecutive terms.[15]

Personal life

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Van Deventer is married. She has two sons.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Inspirational Women of Paarl". ShowMe. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. ^ Sussman, Wayne (17 May 2011). "Elections: Focus on Western Cape". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  3. ^ "DA claims massive gains in Western Cape". News24. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  4. ^ "DA leadership gets reshuffle in province". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  5. ^ https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/cape-argus/20140519/282656095486077. Retrieved 15 November 2021 – via PressReader. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ "Mayor Gesie van Deventer resigns". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  7. ^ Davids, Liezl. "New mayor for Drakenstein". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  8. ^ Willemse, Raymond. "Stellenbosch kry 'n vrou aan spits". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Raad se ampsdraers gekies". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  10. ^ "New Speaker and Deputy Mayor elected for Stellenbosch – Stellenbosch Municipality". Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  11. ^ Anthony, Elmarine. "New Speaker and Deputy Mayor elected". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  12. ^ "COUNCIL ELECTS NEW DEPUTY MAYOR AND SPEAKER – Stellenbosch Municipality". Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Battle lines drawn as parties eye Western Cape's hotly contested municipalities". iol.co.za. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  14. ^ Cupido, Breyten. "DA steeds in beheer in S'bosch". Netwerk24 (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Stellenbosch Council elects new leadership – Stellenbosch Municipality". Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Gesie van Deventer". www.da.org.za. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
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