Planning and Economic Development

Alderlady Rosina Ruiters is the Chairperson of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Section 80 Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Committee – this is a Mayoral Committee Chairperson position. She has held this portfolio since 2016 under the one-and-a-half terms of former Executive Mayor, Ald. Memory Booysen. She was re-elected to this position on 5 July 2024 to form part of the current Executive Mayor, Ald. Andrew Stroebel’s Mayoral Committee.

Alderlady Rosina Ruiters was born in Brandwagt, a rural settlement on the outskirts of Mossel Bay. She is the second youngest child of 12 siblings by Rosina and James Frans.

During Alderlady Rosina’s teenage years, her family moved to Mossel Bay, where she completed her secondary education at Sao-Brass High School. She always had a passion and love to care for people around her. This compassion for others shaped her ideals and inspired her to become a Community Worker. Later in her life, she entered the world of politics and became a Councillor at Mossel Bay Municipality. Nowadays she participates in a community soup drive that provides nourishment to nearly 400 children twice a week. She has also been donating blood to help save lives and as part of her social responsibility, since 2019.

Some of her achievements include:
• Executive Deputy Mayor for Garden Route District Municipality (2016-2021);
• Successfully completing a course in Civil Engineering Construction;
• Member of the Mossel Bay Recreational Club – attend to street children and the elderly from the rural areas;
• Democratic Alliance Chairperson of the Women’s League (2006); and
• Branch Chairperson of a Ward Committee.

During a by-election in 2014, she was elected as Ward Councillor of Ward 13 in Mossel Bay, and according to Alderlady Ruiters, this gave her the opportunity to do more for the community. Before taking up a career as an Alderlady, Rosina Ruiters made a pledge to the community. She would become their voice and because she honoured her word, she was re-elected as Councillor during the 2016 Local Government Elections.

To be a mother is also one of the many roles that Alderlady Ruiters fulfils. She has two (2) children of her own but also raised six (6) children from a friend who died more than a decade ago.

“I had to make a change in my own life to observe and empathise with others’ needs. I made a conscious decision to change my way of thinking. This has changed my heart and made me understand others better. I trust in God to lead and inspire me.” – Alderlady Ruiters.