Ian Neilson

Neilson was born in Boksburg, South Africa. He matriculated from Boksburg High School in 1971. He obtained a B.Sc. degree in civil engineering from the University of Cape Town in 1975 and a M.Sc. degree in engineering in 1984.{{cite news |last1=Head |first1=Tom |title=Who is Ian Neilson? Five things to know about Cape Town's acting mayor |url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/who-is-ian-neilson-cape-town-mayor/ |access-date=30 June 2020 |agency=The South African |date=8 May 2018}}

Neilson is a civil engineer and practiced as a consulting engineer in the field of water engineering, He worked across South Africa on various engineering projects. Water supply projects that he worked on were a detailed basin study of the Luvuvhu River Basin (a tributary of the Limpopo River) and the Orange-Vaal Rivers Weir project (an envisaged alternative to the Lesotho Highlands Water Supply System). He also worked on a number of flood and storm water projects, most notable of which was the design of the canal system at Century City in Cape Town, which later received an award from the Association of Consulting Engineers. It the latter part of his career he established himself as an expert in pipeline design and pipe network planning.{{cite web |title=Curriculum Vitae Alderman Ian Neilson |url=https://www.mm3admin.co.za/documents/docmanager/editor/8188/UserFiles/ian%20neilson,%20deputy%20mayor%20city%20of%20cape%20town.pdf |website=MM3 Admin |access-date=30 June 2020}}

Neilson was involved in politics from his student days at the University of Cape Town where he was involved in opposition to the apartheid government of the day.

His first campaign towards elective office was in the 1987 South African general election, when he was a candidate for the Progressive Federal Party (PFP) in the constituency of Pretoria Central. This constituency was a National Party stronghold and he came fourth in the election behind the Conservative Party and the Herstigte Nasionale Party.

He moved back to Cape Town in 1990 and in 1996 was a candidate for the Democratic Party (DP) (a successor of the PFP) in the first local government elections in a new democratic South Africa. He was elected as a Proportional List Councillor to the Council of the Blaauwberg Municipality as the DP's sole representative. He served as a member of the Council's Executive Committee and on the Planning Committee.

In 1999 he was appointed by the Western Cape Minister of Local Government to serve on the Unicity Commission, from 1999 to 2000, that was set up to prepare the consolidation of seven local governments into the Unicity of Cape Town.

Soon before the 5 December 2000 local government election that established the new City of Cape Town, the DP amalgamated with the New National Party (NNP) to form the Democratic Alliance (DA). Neilson was elected as a DA councillor for Ward 3, an area extending from the wealthy area of Bloubergstrand to the low-cost housing town of Dunoon. The DA won a majority in that election in Cape Town. Neilson was elected by the DA caucus to serve in the city's executive as the Executive Councillor for Safety & Health, a position he held until 2002.

In October 2002 a number of former NNP members left the DA to reestablish their former party in the city council. This followed the NNP's withdrawal from the DA the year before. As a result, the DA lost its majority in the Cape Town Council. Ian was shortly thereafter elected as deputy leader of the DA in the council, a position he held for the remainder of the council term.{{cite news |url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20050728065821749C777047| title= Secret process 'just tip of a dirty iceberg'}}

{{cite news |url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20051214064308402C351575| title= Mfeketo 'was aware' of jewellery project deal}}{{cite news |url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=1&art_id=vn20051027071817721C840075| title= The sweet scent of an election victory}}

At the local government election of March 2006, Ian was elected as the Ward Councillor for Ward 23, a newly delimited ward that extends from Melkbosstrand to Bloubergstrand and parts of Table View. The DA was returned as the largest party in the City of Cape Town. It formed a multiparty government under the leadership of Executive Mayor Helen Zille. Mayor Zille appointed Neilson as the Mayoral committee member for Finance.

At the national and provincial elections on 22 April 2009, the DA won a majority in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. Helen Zille was elected as Premier of the Western Cape Province and ceased to be the Executive Mayor of Cape Town. In the aftermath of these changes, Dan Plato was elected by the Council as the new Executive Mayor and the composition of the city's multi-party government was changed. Neilson was elected by the Council as Executive Deputy Mayor on 27 May 2009.{{cite news | url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20090528051337576C779453 | title= Neilson is Cape's new deputy mayor}} He retained the Finance portfolio and chairmanship of the city's 2010 FIFA World Cup committee.{{cite news | url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=4&art_id=vn20090618113642495C410382| title= Hosting World Cup draw to cost Cape Town R11m}}

The 2011 Local Government Election saw the Democratic Alliance returned to office with an improved vote share. It won 61% of the total vote. Neilson was returned as a Proportional List Councillor. The new Mayor, Patricia de Lille, nominated him to retain the posts of Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Finance.{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Murray |title=New team for De Lille |url=https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/new-team-for-de-lille-1073155 |access-date=30 June 2020 |newspaper=IOL |date=24 May 2011}}

After the 2016 Local Government election when the Cape Town City Council reconvened, he was re-elected to a third term as Deputy Mayor of Cape Town. Councillor Johannes van der Merwe succeeded him as Mayoral Committee Member for Finance.{{cite news |title=Patricia de Lille elected Cape Town mayor |url=https://www.enca.com/south-africa/patricia-de-lille-elected-cape-town-mayor |access-date=30 June 2020 |newspaper=eNCA |date=11 August 2016 |archive-date=31 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731005543/https://www.enca.com/south-africa/patricia-de-lille-elected-cape-town-mayor |url-status=dead }}

On 8 May 2018, the Democratic Alliance ceased Mayor Patricia de Lille's party membership, effectively removing her as Mayor of Cape Town and councillor with immediate effect. Speaker of the Cape Town City Council, Dirk Smith, appointed Neilson to serve as acting Mayor until a new Mayor was set to be elected.{{Cite web | url=https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/patricia-de-lille-told-to-vacate-office-return-city-of-cape-town-property-20180508 |title = Patricia de Lille told to vacate office, return City of Cape Town property|date = 2018-05-08}} De Lille told the various media outlets that she would be approaching the court to have her removal suspended.{{Cite web | url=https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/anc-still-recognises-de-lille-as-cape-town-mayor-20180509 |title = ANC still recognises de Lille as Cape Town mayor|date = 2018-05-09}} Also, de Lille rejected an offer the Democratic Alliance to keep the position of Cape Town Mayor temporarily open while the parties discuss the matter in court.{{Cite web | url=https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/de-lille-rejects-offer-to-keep-mayoral-position-temporarily-open-wants-reinstatement-20180510 |title = De Lille rejects offer to keep mayoral position temporarily open, wants reinstatement|date = 2018-05-10}} Neilson was supposed to be appointing his interim Mayoral Committee, but the decision was delayed to May 14. On the same day, the Western Cape High Court ruled to reinstate de Lille as Mayor.{{Cite web | url=https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/lame-duck-de-lille-can-sit-in-the-office-and-drink-tea-says-cape-town-deputy-mayor-20180515 |title = 'Lame duck' de Lille 'can sit in the office and drink tea', says Cape Town deputy mayor|date = 2018-05-15}}

On 5 August 2018, De Lille announced that she would be resigning as Mayor on 31 October 2018, after months of infighting. Neilson declared his candidacy for the post, but subsequently lost to former Cape Town Mayor, Dan Plato.{{Cite web | url=http://www.2oceansvibe.com/2018/09/11/here-are-the-da-candidates-to-be-cape-towns-next-mayor/ | title=Here Are the DA Candidates to be Cape Town's Next Mayor| date=11 September 2018}}

On 31 October 2018, Patricia de Lille resigned as Mayor. Neilson was immediately announced as acting Mayor of Cape Town. He served until Dan Plato was elected.{{cite news |title=De Lille resigns as Cape Town mayor, quits DA |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/de-lille-resigns-as-cape-town-mayor-quits-da-20181031 |access-date=30 June 2020 |newspaper=News24 |date=31 October 2018}} Neilson will not be returning as deputy mayor of Cape Town after the 2021 municipal election. He will be an ordinary councillor.{{Cite web|title=Cape Town's three way DA mayoral contest - OPINION {{!}} Politicsweb|url=https://www.politicsweb.co.za/opinion/cape-towns-three-way-da-mayoral-contest|access-date=2021-11-13|website=www.politicsweb.co.za|language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Charles|first=Marvin|date=10 November 2021|title=Meet the candidates who are in the race for Cape Town deputy mayor|work=News24|url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/meet-the-candidates-who-are-in-the-race-for-cape-town-deputy-mayor-20211110|access-date=13 November 2021}}

{{reflist | 2}}

• [http://www.capetown.gov.za City of Cape Town]
• [http://www.da.org.za Democratic Alliance]

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Category:Democratic Alliance (South Africa) politicians

Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:White South African people

Category:Politicians from Cape Town

Category:University of Cape Town alumni

Category:Progressive Federal Party politicians

Category:Democratic Party (South Africa) politicians