HERMANUS – Gerald Esau joined Overstrand Municipality as the new Director of Community Services on 1 September 2026.
Director Esau is a seasoned municipal official with more than 28 years’ experience in local government. He has served in Mangaung, Stellenbosch and Drakenstein Municipalities, holding senior positions in community services, public safety, human settlements, parks, sport, waste management and emergency services. He has an Honours Degree in Public Administration from Stellenbosch University.
For the past five months, Director Esau served as Acting Municipal Manager of Beaufort West Municipality. During his time there, he helped the municipality achieve its first funded budget in six years. He also assisted the municipality in progressing from Phase 2 of its Financial Recovery Plan to Phase 3 – the sustainability phase.
EDITOR’S NOTE – On Monday Whalecoastreport submitted a media enquiry to the Overstrand Municipality regarding Director Esau’s background and vetting prior to his appointment. While the municipality acknowledged receipt of the enquiry, no formal response has been received three days later.
The enquiry follows prior reporting by Paarl Post/Nova News regarding Esau’s departure from Drakenstein Municipality in August 2024, where he served as Executive Director for Community Services. According to findings from a disciplinary hearing held in July 2024, Esau was dismissed after being found guilty on four charges, including bringing the municipality into disrepute during a work event in George and allegedly attempting to influence an opposition councillor to seek the removal of the Municipal Manager.
Esau pleaded not guilty to all charges during the hearing, maintaining that his actions were misconstrued. Following his dismissal, he publicly disputed the outcome, stating that he was pursuing legal avenues to appeal the decision on the grounds of unfair dismissal.
Whalecoastreport will publish any response from the Overstrand Municipality once received.
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