There has been an overwhelming response regarding the article about Ward 73 councillor Marcelle Ravid being asked to step down by the Orange Grove Community Forum.
Since the publication of, Out of favour, week ending 19 July, the North Eastern Tribune has received numerous phone calls and letters both in praise of, and questioning the role of the councillor.
Marcelle works extraordinarily hard and very long hours.
A few residents aired their views on Facebook to express their support of Ravid.
Ivana Arrigoni asked, “Please can Stanley Letsoalo let the Orange Grove Residents know what he has done for the community?” Gina Bergman said she was “disgusted” at the complaints from the forum. “Their reasons are not reasonable,” she said. “They are expecting Ravid to find jobs for them. So those who do not want Ravid, think very carefully, as I consider her one of the finest councillors we have.”
DA constituency head, Mike Moriarty justified Ravid’s work in her communities. “She has a very strong record of service. Indeed, she is one of the best councillors in the constituency,” said Moriarty.
He stated that criticisms of her performance were ill-informed. “Marcelle works extraordinarily hard and very long hours. Moreover, I have had numerous letters of thanks given to me for service she has provided.”
Moriarty slammed the ideas brought forward by the forum describing them as “not correct”. “From my perspective, she spends a greater proportion of her time servicing Orange Grove than she does in the rest of her ward.”
However, councillor Sol Cowan disagreed with Moriarty’s commendation of Ravid. “Let me remind people that it is not political parties that elect public representatives, but residents and communities,” said Cowan.
“This glowing accolade for councillor Ravid sounds a bit like self-aggrandising. Therefore, one cannot dismiss out of hand that there may be a kernel of truth about councillor Ravid’s performance in Orange Grove.”
Cowan admitted that unlike other areas in the ward, Orange Grove had its own set of problems that needed attending to, such as overcrowding of properties and abandoned properties. “It needs a councillor that will persevere in solving such problems. Some of these problems are complex in nature, but as the saying goes, if you do not succeed at first, keep on trying until you do succeed.”
He also questioned Ravid’s excuse that she could not solve certain problems because of the city council. “There are councillors that manage to solve problems albeit that it takes time, but they do solve problems without resorting to having a reporter at hand showing them fixing a pothole as Ravid did a while back,” he said. “This is the duty of any councillor and it does not need any praise.”
He added that the minimum Ravid should do was to hold a meeting to hear residents’ complaints before the issues became more serious. “As Bob Dylan said, ‘Times they are a changin’.”
