Beverley Schäfer
{{Short description|South African politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Beverley Ann Schäfer
| native_name =
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| image = Beverley Schafer, Western Cape MEC for Economic Opportunities.jpg
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| caption = Schäfer in 2019
| office = Deputy Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament
| premier =
| term_start = 22 May 2019
| term_end = 28 May 2024
| predecessor = Piet Pretorius
| successor = Reagen Allen
| office1 = Western Cape Provincial Minister of Economic Opportunities
| premier1 = Helen Zille
| term_start1 = 1 November 2018
| term_end1 = 22 May 2019
| predecessor1 = Alan Winde
| successor1 = Position reconfigured
| office2 = Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament
| premier2 =
| term_start2 = 21 May 2014
| term_end2 = 28 May 2024
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| office3 = Member of the Cape Town City Council
| premier3 =
| term_start3 = 11 May 2011
| term_end3 = 7 May 2014
| alongside3 =
| constituency3 = Ward 54
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| birthname = Beverley Ann Schäfer
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| citizenship =
| nationality = South African
| party = Democratic Alliance
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| education = University of the Witwatersrand
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| occupation = Politician
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Beverley Ann Schäfer is a South African politician who served as the Deputy Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament from May 2019 until May 2024. She served as the Western Cape Provincial Minister of Economic Opportunities from November 2018 to May 2019. Between June 2014 and October 2018, she served as the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Economic Opportunities, Tourism and Agriculture in the provincial parliament. She was the Cape Town City Councillor for Ward 54 from 2011 to 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.pa.org.za/person/beverley-ann-schafer/|website=pa.org.za|title=Beverley Ann Schafer :: People's Assembly|accessdate=2018-11-10}} She is a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Political career
Schäfer served as Head of the Democratic Alliance's Online Marketing and Social Media Department from 2009 until 2011. In May 2011, she was elected as the Cape Town City Councillor for Ward 54. The ward included areas such as Green Point, Mouille Point, Robben Island, Sea Point, Fresnaye, Bantry Bay, Clifton and northern parts of Camps Bay.
She served as a councillor until she was elected to Western Cape Provincial Parliament in May 2014. She took office as a Member on 21 May 2014. Schäfer was subsequently appointed Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Economic Opportunities and a whip for the Democratic Alliance in the legislature.{{cite web|url=https://www.wcpp.gov.za/node/6261|title=Deputy Speaker Beverley Schäfer|website=wcpp|accessdate=2018-11-10}}
On 19 October 2018, Premier Helen Zille announced that Schäfer would succeed Alan Winde as Provincial Minister of Economic Opportunities. She was sworn in on 1 November 2018 by Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe.{{cite web|url=https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/alan-winde-replacing-dan-plato-as-community-safety-mec-17553379|title=Alan Winde replacing Dan Plato as community safety MEC | Cape Argus|website=iol.co.za|accessdate=2018-11-10}}{{cite web|url=https://www.westerncape.gov.za/news/minister-beverley-sch%C3%A4fer-sworn-minister-economic-opportunities|title=Minister Beverley Schäfer sworn in as Minister of Economic Opportunities|website=Western Cape Government|accessdate=2018-11-10}}
Schäfer was elected Deputy Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament on 22 May 2019, succeeding Piet Pretorius.[http://www.wcpp.gov.za/node/6446 Deputy Speaker elected], wcpp, 22 May 2019. Retrieved on 28 July 2019.
In March 2023, Schäfer was criticised for organising an event at the Provincial Parliament for British cardiologist and COVID-19 vaccine critic Aseem Malhotra to talk about "unsafe and ineffective" vaccines. Speaker Daylin Mitchell and premier Alan Winde both condemned the event.{{Cite web |last=Payne |first=Suné |date=2023-03-16 |title=PROVINCIAL POLITICS: DA Western Cape's Beverley Schäfer under whip after asking UK anti-vaxxer to speak at legislature |url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-03-16-da-western-capes-beverley-schafer-under-whip-after-asking-uk-anti-vaxxer-to-speak-at-legislature/ |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=Daily Maverick |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Charles |first=Marvin |title=Premier Winde fumes after Western Cape deputy speaker hosts British anti-vax doctor in legislature |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/premier-winde-fumes-after-western-cape-deputy-speaker-hosts-british-anti-vax-doctor-in-legislature-20230316 |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}
Schäfer did not stand for re-election in 2024 and left the Provincial Parliament in May 2024.{{Cite web |last=Charles |first=Marvin |title=DA list wars: Western Cape legislature facing a major shake-up |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/da-list-wars-western-cape-legislature-facing-a-major-shake-up-20240322 |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Zille provincial cabinet}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schafer, Beverley}}
Category:Democratic Alliance (South Africa) politicians
Category:Members of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament
Category:White South African people
Category:Women members of provincial legislatures of South Africa
Category:21st-century South African women politicians