Rundle looks forward to third term

After being re-elected in the November 1 municipal elections, alderman Bill Rundle was once again up for the challenge of serving the community as the councillor of Ward 19.

Rundle received 80.45% of support from voters at the polls in Ward 19.

“I’m looking forward to doing things better and working with the community,” said Rundle.

“With 10 years of experience and experience as a shadow MMC, I would like to think my skills have improved and been upgraded.”

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Besides being re-elected as Ward 19’s councillor, Rundle received alderman status at the last sitting of the City of Ekurhuleni’s Council before the elections, which he described as being special.

He was one of several councillors to receive the title.

Rundle said the title is presented to councillors recognised for their dedication and is one of the top awards available at local government.

“The late Ekurhuleni Clr Bruce Reid challenged me to become a councillor and one of our objectives was to become alderman by the end of our second term.”

Looking to his third term, Rundle hopes to focus on driving the remediation of the Eastleigh Spruit.

“Remediation of the spruit is paramount to bringing jobs and investment back in the community,” said Rundle.

He said the deterioration of the spruit after the 2016 floods led to many businesses leaving Edenvale.

Rundle believes with its remediation, companies will return to the town and the industrial district.

“When companies come back to the town, they will most likely draw their workforce from the town,” said Rundle.

Besides companies coming back to town, Rundle believes when the City of Ekurhuleni’s contractors start working on the spruit again, they will purchase building materials from building suppliers in Edenvale.

Rundle said the need to attract businesses to Edenvale is in light of the country’s unemployment rate.

According to the 2020 Profile of and Analysis District Development Model of the City of Ekurhuleni, the unemployment rate in Ekurhuleni is 31.8%.

The profile further said the unemployment rate in the city has always been far above the Gauteng and the country’s average.

Still in the Eastleigh industrial district, Rundle hopes to address waste pickers and ‘illegal recyclers’ specifically on the corner of Central Avenue and Fountain Road.

Besides focusing on the Eastleigh Spruit, Rundle hopes to drive the repair and closure of several bridges in his ward.

Bridges he hopes to see repaired during his third term include Dickie fritz, First and Van Riebeeck avenues and Plantation Road bridges.

Moving forward, Rundle hopes to engage with the community of his ward, work closely and find solutions for issues the community identify as priorities.

By engaging more with the community, Rundle hopes to allow residents to identify priority issues in the ward and the community.

Similarly, Rundle hopes to create a Ward 19 committee that will be of great value to the community.

The committee, like all other ward committees, has 10 portfolios for the respective sectors of society.

“Ward committees can do excellent work for the community; however, we need quality and committed community members to be a part of it.”

Speaking on election day, Rundle said there were many instances where registered voters did not cast their vote.

In light of this, Rundle plans to host educational and informative voter workshops.

“The idea is not to preach party politics but to instead teach those who attend what a vote does and how the electoral system works.

“I want people to get a better understanding.”

Rundle can be contacted at Bill.Rundle@ekurhuleni.gov.za or on 074 111 2488.

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