As we near the end of 2017, I would like to share three things with the residents of Ward 74, my thanks for their support, the expectation that they can have of their councillor and my plea for their active engagement next year.
During the past year, we have had many challenges with municipal services. Residents have been very supportive of the administration and municipal entities as they strive to serve the public. As we have discovered, the City of Joburg has an unfunded infrastructure backlog of R170 billion over the next 10 years. We have to make the tough decisions on priorities. These decisions are not always popular in better-resourced suburbs and we must recognise that as a ‘pro-poor local government’ we all have to address the inequity of the past.
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I would like to thank and commend the residents on their generous understanding of the vital issue of upliftment and development of all our residents.
The role of a ward councillor is a challenging one. I was elected by the voters in the ward to represent them in the legislature of the City of Joburg. I exercise an oversight role in the administration but I do not have any direct input into the administration. It is the responsibility of each and every citizen to report issues that they are aware of and to get a reference number.
If not resolved in a reasonable time I can escalate these issues and interact with the officials to provide information and feedback to the residents. I have no electrical, plumbing or road engineering skills. I rely on the professional knowledge of the management and the technical skills of the employees to effect repairs, maintenance and upgrades to the infrastructure.
I am often in meetings or environments where I cannot talk on the phone. I request that residents email me and I will react as soon as it is possible. Please always quote the reference number and give full details such as your name and address, account number and full details of the problem or query.
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In the coming year, I would earnestly request each and every resident to be an active and engaged citizen. By working together and in unison we will make our environment the place that we all want to live, work and play in. We owe it to ourselves, our children and our future to actively engage with the Municipality to ensure that problems are reported and resolved. We must ensure that we all play our part in contributing to the well-being of all our community.
Details: dfisher@iafrica.com or 082 822 6070.
