12 Facts About Eleanore Bouw-Spies

Eleanore Bouw-Spies attended Rheenendal Primary School and later the Knysna Secondary School.

Eleanore Bouw-Spies holds a BA Degree and a Higher Diploma in Education from the University of the Western Cape.

In 2007, Eleanore 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 municipal council and DA councillor Georlene Wolmarans was voted in as mayor.

Eleanore Bouw-Spies won the by-election and was appointed speaker of the council following her swearing-in.

On 6 June 2018, Eleanore Bouw-Spies was removed 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.

In September 2018, the Knysna Municipal Council decided to lay a criminal charge against Eleanore Bouw-Spies following a recommendation made by the "De Swart Report" so that the allegations against her, could be investigated.

Eleanore Bouw-Spies was only 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.

Eleanore Bouw-Spies became a member of the Standing Committee on Auditor General later that month.

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

Eleanore Bouw-Spies was promoted to Shadow Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs on 21 April 2023, following Brink's election as Mayor of Tshwane.

Eleanore Bouw-Spies was re-elected to the National Assembly in the 2024 general election.

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