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Executive Mayor:
Councillor Gesie van Deventer
The new Executive Mayor of Drakenstein Municipality,
Her Worship Councillor Gesie van Deventer, was born in
Van Rhynsdorp in the Western Cape Province.
She studied law at the University of Stellenbosch and
initially served as Public Prosecutor in District and
Regional Courts in the Cape Province from 1981 until
1984 and then was called to the Bar and started
practicing as an Advocate in the Cape High Court.
She also served in different divisions of courts as a magistrate.
On request of the Government, Gesie served in
various Commissions of Enquiry relating to irregularities
and maladministration.
She later swapped her legal toga for farmer’s boots
when she turned to wine farming near Windmeul.
She obtained a diploma in viticulture and botany
from Elsenburg and established herself as a prominent
wine producer in the area. Since then she has been
named Woman Farmer of the Year (top exporter),
Farmer of the Year (all-round Western Cape)
and Cape Exporter of the Year.
In 2003 she became the first female chairperson of Paarl Vintners’ Board of Directors. She has served as Judge in both panels for Farmer of the Year (SA) and Female Entrepreneur (SA).
The Executive Mayor has always been involved in community upliftment, empowerment and rural development, with the focus on female mentoring.
In 2007 she was elected as board member of Cassidra (Cape Agency for Sustainable Integrated Development in Rural Areas) and served as its chairperson.
After the Local Government Elections on 18 May 2011, she was elected to serve as the Executive Mayor of the Drakenstein Municipality.
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