On Thursday, 24 July, the DA’s candidate, Dr Florence Roberts, won the ward by-election in Ward 83.
The ward seat fell vacant when the previous councillor, Suzanne Clarke, lost her battle against cancer earlier this year.
Read more here:
https://www.citizen.co.za/roodepoort-record/2019/03/16/ward-83-councillor-loses-battle-cancer/
Florence resides in Wilro Park and is someone who enjoys working with the community.
“As a Principal’s daughter and a Preacher’s granddaughter, I grew up in the heart of the community and remain curious about what makes a community thrive or break down when overcoming socioeconomic challenges. This is besides those existential questions each of us have as individuals. It is the reason I practise social psychology, which essentially deals with social interactions and its effect on the individual’s behaviour in a social setting. In short, I am always curious and have my nose in other people’s business a lot. I care about people,” Florence said.
She went on to say that she is excited about her new appointment and grateful to have an opportunity to inspire the residents of Ward 83.
“I also have no doubt that I will do my level best to serve in the Council and be the link to my community – always being loyal to them. I have always been a hard worker; committed to whatever task I take on and am tenacious about getting good results. I am competitive and this drives me forward toward my reward, which is to be responsive to my residents’ needs and to endeavour to communicate their issues to the City of Johannesburg for the excellent service delivery they deserve,” she said.
Florence stated that she looks forward to help Executive Mayor councillor, Herman Mashaba to achieve his mission of “creating an enabling economic environment by making Joburg more responsive in the delivery of quality services”.
She further stated that, because she lives in the ward, she also experiences the good and bad as far as service delivery is concerned.
According to Florence, she has long been involved from a socioeconomic perspective and will now be integrating the local service delivery component into her work. “I am doing this because I see how the lack of services can affect our lives in the most basic of ways. In Ward 83, we all want a crime-free, safe neighbourhood. This community is super-vigilant and works well with its neighbourhood watch security groups and community forums to keep each other safe. I am fully involved on these platforms and will facilitate the success of their efforts by representing them in Council – ensuring that the residents access all the resources necessary. I am a good communicator and will keep my residents informed at all times. I have and will continue to fast-track issues concerning the provision of basic services such as reliable power, clean water, maintaining sewerage systems, roads and infrastructure. I too, am upset at the number of open manholes in the ward – it is dangerous and the minute one is replaced, it is stolen again! We have to find solutions to recovering stolen manhole covers or securing them better,” she added.
She mentioned that she is going to rely on the community to raise its concerns with her and work with her to resolve them. “We are a team and will accomplish so much more together. Many issues in our ward are of a social nature – speeding, reckless road use, illegal dumping of garden waste and littering. I appeal to each person to do what is in their power to enhance this beautiful neighbourhood and improve the lives of our people.”
She would like to be remembered as the woman who lived her life in service to others – who did this fearlessly and didn’t care about being judged one way or another, a woman of action.
“I would like to leave them with this to think about: ‘You may never know what comes from your results – but if you do nothing, there are no results’,” she concluded.
