It’s been a couple of weeks since the Local Government Elections took place and ward councillors are quickly catching up with the challenges faced by each ward.

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Newly elected Ward 37 Clr Ivan Naidoo comes from a corporate environment and has been spending the last five years in the political arena.

Naidoo has a passion for people, the community, development and community upliftment.

He believes that the key to success for any ward lies in cooperation, engagement and mutual trust.

He has lived in the area for about 10 years and as part of the community, he sees himself as a servant leader of the ward.

“I now have an opportunity and a platform to serve the community. I am committed to serving the residents by creating collaboration and engagement. Together we will create a ward that every resident will feel safe in, can be proud of and where everyone has a voice,” said Naidoo.

Naidoo’s goals include the upgrade of all sub-stations in the ward.

“We are all aware of the problems surrounding load-shedding and electricity. Part of the problem is that our sub-stations have declined over the years causing serious issues when power is restored. We have to attend to basic maintenance and renewal of the sub-stations to prevent the constant unscheduled outages,” said Naidoo.

He also aims to tend to waste-water service delivery and failing infrastructure. This includes the sewer system infrastructure in the ward.

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“I want the infrastructure upgraded to improve the overall service delivery for residents.”

Homeless people are also on his list of priorities.

“People living on the street is increasing at an alarming rate, mainly due to poor economic growth. I will be working with the metro and other stakeholders to get suitable accommodation assigned to these vulnerable residents to ensure better living conditions and quality of life,” said Naidoo.

He also wants to address community safety issues.

“The most important human right for all residents is the right to a safe environment. I am committed to working with EMPD, SAPS and community forums to ensure a safe and peaceful environment for our residents and their families,” said Naidoo.

He said he is ready to serve the community and try to make a difference.

“I aim to adopt a collaborative approach in dealing with the concerns in the ward. My promise to the people of ward 37 is that I will fight for your interests and that together, we will build a safe, prosperous and clean ward,” said Naidoo.

Ward 37 residents may contact Naidoo on 061 549 3372.