Ward 109 is extremely diverse, not only in terms of the major wealth gap found between neighborhoods, but also in terms of the area’s racial and religious profile.
It is also a ward which has seen major growth and, with that, some major growing pains with crime, lack of infrastructure and a massive influx of people being a few of the major issues.
This is according to Werner Smit, the Democratic Alliance’s candidate for Ward 109 in this year’s local government elections. He has been based in Kelvin since 2002 and believes the area is an interesting place to live.
“Ward 109 is basically a microcosm of, not just Johannesburg, but the world, to a degree. There is a huge variety in terms of demographics, language, racial background, religious background and socio-economic backgrounds,” said Smit.
He has been involved in local politics for more than 25 years and is eager to show residents what he can achieve in this growing area.
He studied political science and development studies at the North-West University. “As a teenager, I was always politically aware. I worked in the field for a couple of years and I have worked quite intensively with municipalities, mainly organising large events in Nelson Mandela Bay, Ekhureleni, Bela Bela and other municipalities around South Africa.”
He added that he enjoys working with municipal workers, solving problems by effectively planning ahead, and taking on big challenges, and even though the ward faces many obvious challenges, Smit believes that the DA can make great changes in the area, specifically focusing on service delivery and job creation.
He is currently the race director for the 5150 Triathlon Series.
Read more:
Councillor nurses ward back to health
Councillor dedicated to his ward
What to expect in your ward in 2016
