I reside in ward 57, Eden Park and have never met Councillor Malcolm Maifala of ward 38 (Brackenhurst and Brackendowns areas).
I salute him for running a transparent, free and fair ward committee election for his area. This is indicative of a ward well run. I appeal to all ward councillors of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality to take a leaf out of this committed and dedicated councillor’s book.
Ward committee elections for ward 38 were advertised in the Alberton RECORD on October 19 to be held on October 29 – one week in advance! One month later, Councillor Maifala introduced his new ward committee members for ward 38 by placing an article on the elections, with pictures of the new members and their contact details, in the Alberton RECORD of November 23. Impressive – this shows that the process went smoothly.
On the other side, the elections for the new ward committee members for ward 57 were never advertised in any community newspaper to inform all the residents of this important event. It was held in Thokoza on November 29 and it was very chaotic. It would be a ‘miracle’ if the new ward committee members were elected under such conditions.
I urge the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to investigate the legitimacy of this election – if the new ward committee members were indeed elected under such chaotic circumstances, if it was free and fair. If it was free and fair, when will these new ward committee members be introduced to the community of ward 57? Mustn’t the new ward committee be finalised/formulated by 31 January 2017?
Councillor Maifala, keep up the good work and all of the best. I sincerely hope that all EMM’s councillors can learn from you for the betterment of our communities. Good luck to you, too.
Impressed resident
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