It’s a new term for new representatives facing new challenges.

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This is how residents are looking at the newly elected ward councillors.

Residents are hopeful that things will get better and that the new ward councillor, Jean Ingram, will prioritise service delivery.

GCN spoke to Lamdel resident’s association chairperson Jakkie Janse van Vuuren about the change they would like to see.

“We welcome the newly elected councillor. We hope the councillor will be willing and able to fight for service delivery for the ward. We hope action is taken to find resolution,” said Janse van Vuuren.

She said as the association they are always willing to work with the leaders in the community.

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“We hope the councillor will work closely with the residents association and communicate with us and share important information regarding the ward. We believe we are all working towards the betterment of our community,” said Janse van Vuuren.

She said the ward needs service delivery and a number of issues need to be addressed.

“The ward councillor must not be afraid to push boundaries to drive critical issues, illegal connections and illegal buildings must be acted upon. “Theft as substations and constant power outages must be a core priority. These issues are becoming a problem for the residents and businesses in the area.

“We are still recovering from Covid-19 so working from home is still a reality for many and electricity is needed if we continue with this unreliable power we are in trouble,” said Janse van Vuuren.

“Someone that is willing to get their hands dirty in working with the community to better the ward for all residents and businesses, is what we need,” said Janse van Vuuren.

The association has been very vocal on the issues in the Germiston area. In September the members hosted a service delivery march for residents to express their grievances and disappointment at the lack of service delivery.

Residents then handed a memorandum of grievances together with a service delivery petition, street light audit and illegal buildings and connection audit over to former Ward 39 councillor Alta de Beer.

The association covers residents and businesses in the Delville, Denlee, Parkhill Gardens, Webber, Lambton, Klippoortjie North, Hazeldene and Hazelpark.

Ingram previously told GCN that she already has several issues at the top of her list that she would like to address.
“Electricity is the biggest issue in the ward. Aged and deteriorated infrastructure and illegal buildings all contribute to this issue,” said Ingram.

She would also like to introduce water-wise solutions for residents, as well as to preserve precious water resources.

Ingram aims to address street lights, as they are important for the safety of residents.

“Clean-up of parks, cemeteries and public open spaces, with illegal dumping, must be addressed to ensure healthy living spaces and a clean environment.

“I will work as hard as possible to ensure residents receive the level of service delivery they deserve.”
Ward 39 includes Parkhill Gardens, Lambton, a portion of Delville, Hazel Park, Mimosa Park, Denlee, Estera, Elsburg, Dinwiddie and Wadeville.

Contact Ingram on 065 808 8151.