GARDEN ROUTE DISTRICT NEWS - The Garden Route District Municipality saw a newly inaugurated councillor, Eleanore Bouw-Spies, appointed as speaker at their last council meeting of the year last Thursday.
Bouw-Spies, who served as a DA councillor in Knysna, received 15 votes and the ANC candidate, Doris Xego, nine votes.
Only 24 councillors of a council of 35 attended the special council meeting.
Bouw-Spies was congratulated by the DA and ANC. ANC chief whip Piet van der Hoven said Bouw-Spies will strengthen the DA with her capabilities, but he questioned the fact that the new speaker's life partner, Rowan Spies, also serves in Council as a DA councillor. "The DA is converting this into a family business," he said.
Van der Hoven also questioned the legality of having an acting speaker, Barend Groenewald, for a duration of seven months.
ANC Councillor Clodia Lichaba said more women are needed in politics and leadership.
Bouw-Spies committed to accommodating every councillor in council.
She said that she will be strict, but allow healthy debate.
She thanked councillors for their well wishes during a setback in her health, from which she is still recovering.
DA regional chairperson Jaco Londt reacted to enquiries regarding the fact that Bouw-Spies and her partner Rowan Spies both serve on the GRDM council.
He said the country's constitution has no constraints in this regard.
Although the DA party has certain constraints on family members serving in caucuses smaller than 20, the Garden Route council has a DA caucus of 21 members.
"Any deviations have to be approved by the DA's Federal Executive (Fedex). Her election as speaker has been approved by Fedex. She is a competent individual and I wish her all the best," he said.
Garden Route constituency head, Tertuis Simmers, said, "With the inauguration of Eleanore Bouw-Spies today as the district speaker, adherence was given to all party regulations, which guided the caucus to nominate her for the position." Simmers congratulated her on her election and wished her well for the road ahead.
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