Sudden resignation of Mayor begs many questions

Gesie van Deventer resigns
In a surprise announcement the Democratic Alliance this afternoon confirmed that mayor Gesie van Deventer is retiring at the end of November.

This announcement by Tertuis Simmers, DA Western Cape leader, comes amongst a myriad controversial decisions and a lot of criticism against the Stellenbosch municipality over the past few months pertaining to various controversial development approvals, management attitudes and a lack of public participation. Crime in Stellenbosch is also rife and a lot of questions have been asked about the role of the municipality, and Van Deventer’s management style, as well as its senior officals in providing answers to these and other pertinent challenges faced by the Van Deventer administration.

In a stement by Stellenbosch municipal manager, Geraldine Mettler, said the decision was announced at an emotional Council meeting today, At the Van Deventer announced her retirement, sharing that she will be stepping down at the end of November 2024. The statement highlighted various achievements in the eight-year tenure of Van Deventer, saying she was the longest-serving mayor in Stellenbosch’s democratic history, Van Deventer has led with extraordinary dedication and resilience, bringing stability to both the Council and the administration, accordign to Mettler.

Mettler continued to say that Van Deventer’s legacy of enhanced service delivery and community impact will leave an enduring mark on the Municipality. Her presence will be deeply missed by colleagues and residents alike, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude for her invaluable contributions. We wish her a well-deserved, peaceful retirement and hope she enjoys the precious time with family and friends in the years to come.

In his announcement Simmers said the DA bids farewell to a true pillar of the party who has announced her retirement today and plans to step down as mayor at the end of November.

Van Deventer joined the DA because she believed in the values of the DA – freedom, fairness and opportunity for all.

In 2011, Van Deventer was elected mayor of Drakenstein after the DA won a majority of seats in council in the 2011 elections. She was elected to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in the 2014 provincial elections but relinquished her seat to continue serving as mayor of the Drakenstein.

In 2016, Van Deventer was nominated as the DA’s mayoral candidate for Stellenbosch and vacated her role as Drakenstein mayor in May 2016. On 15 August 2016, Van Deventer was elected Stellenbosch mayor.

And for eight consecutive years, Gesie and her Stellenbosch Councillors were awarded clean audits by the Auditor General of South Africa.