Eleanore Bouw-Spies

Eleanore Rochelle Jacquelene Spies (known as Eleanore Bouw-Spies, born 9 July 1971) is a South African politician, currently a Member of Parliament for the opposition Democratic Alliance, and the current Shadow Deputy Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

Eleanore Bouw-Spies

MP
Shadow Deputy Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Assumed office
5 December 2020
LeaderJohn Steenhuisen
Preceded byCilliers Brink
Shadow Deputy Minister on the Auditor-General
In office
5 June 2019 – 5 December 2020
LeaderMmusi Maimane
John Steenhuisen
Preceded byBrandon Topham
Succeeded byPatricia Kopane
Member of the National Assembly of South Africa
Assumed office
22 May 2019
Executive Mayor of the Knysna Local Municipality
In office
15 August 2016 – 5 June 2018
Preceded byGeorlene Wolmarans
Succeeded byMark Willemse
In office
2007–2011
Preceded byDoris Wakeford-Brown
Succeeded byGeorlene Wolmarans
Personal details
Born (1971-07-09) 9 July 1971
Knysna, Cape Province, South Africa
NationalitySouth African
Political partyDemocratic Alliance (2014–present)
Other political
affiliations		African National Congress (Until 2014)
Spouse(s)Rowan
EducationKnysna Secondary School
Alma materUniversity of the Western Cape
OccupationMember of Parliament
ProfessionPolitician

Early life and education

Bouw-Spies was born in Knysna.[1] She attended Rheenendal Primary School and later the Knysna Secondary School and holds a BA Degree and a Higher Diploma in Education from the University of the Western Cape.[1]

Political career

A former member of the African National Congress, Bouw-Spies was elected to the Knysna Town Council in 2000. She was later appointed to the mayoral committee before being promoted to deputy mayor of the municipality. In 2007, Bouw-Spies was elected mayor of the municipality, a position she held until the 2011 local government elections, when the Democratic Alliance won a majority of seats on the town council and Georlene Wolmarans was voted in as mayor.[2][3]

After the death of DA ward 5 councillor, Magda Williams, in 2014, Bouw-Spies joined the DA and was selected as the party's candidate for the ensuing by-election.[4] She won the by-election and was appointed speaker of the council following her swearing-in.[5] After the 2016 municipal elections, Bouw-Spies returned as mayor of the municipality, replacing Wolmarans, who became speaker.[1]

On 6 June 2018, Bouw-Spies was voted out as mayor in a motion of no confidence after two DA councillors, Peter Myers and Mark Willemse, defied the caucus instruction to not participate in the motion and voted with the opposition to remove her as mayor. Willemse was then elected mayor. The DA provincial leader, Bonginkosi Madikizela, likened her removal to that of a coup d'état.[6][7] In December of that same year, she was elected speaker of the Garden Route District Municipality.[8]

Corruption allegations

In September 2018, the Knysna Town Council took the decision to lay a criminal charge against Bouw-Spies following a recommendation made by the De Swart Report, so that the allegations made against her, could be investigated properly. On 11 March 2019, captain RP van der Westhuizen, informed the then-acting municipal manager, Johnny Douglas, by e-mail that the case had been closed and that the charge was dropped. Bouw-Spies was informed about the decision at the end of July 2020 after the Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Anton Bredell, requested that the municipality provide him with information relating to the case. The DA expressed concern about why the information was not divulged to the public, but welcomed the decision to not prosecute Bouw-Spies.[9]

Parliamentary career

For the 8 May 2019 general election, Bouw-Spies was first on the DA's list of Western Cape parliamentary candidates.[10] At the election, she won a seat in the National Assembly. She took her seat on 22 May, two weeks after the election.[11]

On 5 June 2019, she was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Deputy Minister on the Auditor-General.[12] She became a member of the Standing Committee on Auditor General later that month.[13]

On 5 December 2020, Bouw-Spies was appointed Shadow Deputy Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, succeeding Cilliers Brink, who became Shadow Minister of the portfolio.[14]

Personal life

Bouw-Spies is married to Rowan Spies, a DA councillor in the Garden Route District Municipality.[11]

References
  1. "Who is Knysna's new mayor?". Knysna-Plett Herald. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  2. "Mayors of Knysna". Knysna Museums. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  3. "Meet Knysna's new executive mayor". Knysna-Plett Herald. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  4. "Update: Bouw-Spies for Knysna's Ward 5". Knysna-Plett Herald. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  5. "Knysna Council Newsletter - July 2014 - Knysna Municipality". www.knysna.gov.za. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  6. Nkosi, Nomazima (7 June 2018). "Knysna mayor ousted in 'coup'". HeraldLIVE. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  7. Goosen, Stefan (6 June 2018). "Mark Willemse new Executive Mayor of Knysna". Knysna-Plett Herald. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  8. Pienaar, Michelle (20 December 2018). "Bouw-Spies takes the reins as speaker". George Herald. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  9. "Charges dropped against Bouw-Spies kept secret". Knysna-Plett Herald. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  10. "DA election candidates". Knysna-Plett Herald. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  11. Pondoyi, Nwabisa (17 May 2019). "Ex-mayor heads off to Parliament". Knysna-Plett Herald. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  12. Gerber, Jan (5 June 2019). "Here's the DA's 'shadow cabinet'". News24. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  13. "announcements, tablings and committee reports" (PDF). APRAV. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  14. Mazzone, Natasha (5 December 2020). "DA announces new Shadow Cabinet that will bring Real Hope and Real Change". Democratic Alliance. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
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