Kriek moves on after 28 years of service

After 28 years as the DA representative of Ward 27, Clr Gerrie Kriek has decided to hand over the reins to the younger generation.

Clr Gerrie Kriek is retiring after representing Ward 27 for the past 28 years.

“I am excited about the prospect of retiring,” said the former councillor.

“It was a wonderful time, I had a fantastic ward.”

Kriek started in his ward in 1988, when he won the election with two votes more than his closest competitor, Marius Horn.

Since then he was voted in as ward councillor at every election.

Kriek, who was the mayor of Benoni from 1992 until 1994, said his goals for the ward, when he started, such as better service delivery, were mostly achieved.

“I gave it my all, being available to residents 24/7,” he added.

“I always believed in visiting residents at their homes, it was an honour to meet them there.”

The Northmead resident said he will now have more time to focus on other community work and become more involved with Die Gereformeerde Kerk Benoni, where he is an elder.

“My wife and I also want to explore the country a bit more, which we never had much time for, with my duties keeping me in Benoni,” he added.

Kriek and his wife, Henny, live in Northmead and have been in the same house for about 50 years.

They said they won’t move any time soon.

Jacques Meiring was approved as the DA candidate for Ward 27 and will take over from Kriek, should he win enough votes in the area.

“It was a privilege for me to coach the aspiring candidate for Ward 27, for the past year and a half,” Kriek said.

Meiring is grateful for everything he learned from the long-standing councillor.

“It was a great opportunity to see how he works; the ward was his life,” Meiring said.

Kriek added that there are several projects in the works to upgrade roads and storm water drains in his ward.

The Northmead resident said the water supply system in Benoni still needs to be upgraded:

“It is old and leads to great losses of drinking water, through leaks. This must be the first priority in my ward going forward.”

From 1991 until 2013, Kriek also ran his own business, Kriek Engineering CC.

He said there was never a problem with juggling his duties as a government official, with those of his company.

At 65 years old, Kriek completed a course in Executive Leadership in Municipal Development at the University of Pretoria in 2010.

Ward 27 includes Northmead, Airfield, Morehill, Ebotse Golf and Country Estate and parts of Rynfield.