Scotts Farm housing, regular meetings
1 What were you doing before being appointed as a councillor that prepared you for the job?
I was the former elected councillor for Ward 12 Makana and Whip for the Democratic Alliance. The last five years have been an invaluable learning experience, not only in the area of politics but also in the promotion of service delivery.
Prior to the 2011 election, I spent nearly 20 years in the industrial world, working for major companies in the chemical and mining sectors and finally as the operations manager of a small oil refinery. Moving with my family to Grahamstown at the end of 1989, we were involved with several local businesses, but my main preoccupation was managing GADRA Education for most of the next two decades. I also involved myself in the leadership of several Eastern Cape NGOs, all in the welfare and education fields. My business experiences, welfare work and lately political work, put me in a unique position to serve the citizens of Ward 4 in Makana.
2 What issues concern you the most about your ward?
In every ward in Makana, service delivery remains a serious issue, from poor road maintenance and challenges with electricity, sewerage and potable water infrastructure. It is a myth that ageing infrastructure is to blame for our problems. All cities, young or old, have problems with infrastructure. We just need to maintain the infrastructure. Part of my ward includes Scott’s Farm, where many citizens are living in conditions that are far from acceptable. “Temporary houses” erected after the 2008 storms are now decaying, the floors rotten and currently there is little hope of receiving new accommodation. The road surfaces are crumbling and illegal dumping is rampant all over the ward. The problems surrounding the allocation of new RPD houses persist.
3 What will be your strategy over the next five years to tackle them?
The staff of the Makana Municipality have in the past been generally co-operative with me and I will be persistent in ensuring that an acceptable level of service delivery is forthcoming for the residents of Ward 4. Regular meetings of the community’s residents will ensure that as a politician I understand their concerns and needs.
The residents on the western side of the ward generally are more likely to use the phone or email, while those in the east will be more inclined to want face to face meetings to explain their needs. My ward office is situated on the periphery of Scott’s Farm and people will have direct access to me there. At the end of the day, residents want a municipality that functions, a cleaner environment, less crime and more work opportunities. As DA councillors we will strive to achieve these goals.
Cell: 082 657 4447