Mandisi Masekwana outlines service delivery priorities for Ward 52

1. What are the three biggest challenges currently facing your ward, and how will you address them?

As the DA candidate for Ward 52, I have identified power outages, sewage spills, and potholes as the three biggest challenges facing Tokoza residents.

This is mainly due to neglect and a lack of maintenance of the aged infrastructure. My objective is simple: identify the issue, escalate it, and report back to the community. I will undertake to have issues resolved throughout the ward.

2. How will you improve basic service delivery such as water, electricity, refuse removal and road maintenance?

I will push and support calls for ring-fencing of water and electricity revenue to ensure that money is reinvested in the maintenance of water and electricity infrastructure.

For refuse collection, I will work closely with the community and the municipality to identify areas where collections are irregular or missed, report these issues promptly, and track them to confirm that services are delivered.

Secondly, I will use regular ward inspections and resident reports to identify potholes, damaged roads, and blocked stormwater drains for repairs and maintenance.

3. What specific plans do you have to improve community safety and reduce crime in the ward?

One of my priorities is to ensure that streetlights are fixed to reduce the chances of crime. Secondly, I will work closely with the Community Policing Forums, EMPD, SAPS, and other stakeholders to ensure we fight and combat criminal activities.

I will work with community supervision agencies to help former prisoners and people on probation reintegrate into society. Police and supervision officers should share information to work together more effectively and prevent repeat crime.

4. How will you ensure that residents are kept informed and involved in decisions affecting the community?

I will hold regular public meetings and create service delivery groups. I will also encourage residents to attend IDP meetings and other related meetings. I will also work closely with my ward committee members to make sure that they also provide reports on their portfolios.

5. What will you do to support local businesses, informal traders and job creation in the ward?

I will help create a conducive environment by ensuring that services are provided that will allow local businesses and informal traders to grow their businesses and create jobs.

I will also work with relevant municipal departments to support informal traders with applications for permits and relevant registrations; this will help with the ease of doing business.

6. How will you improve conditions in informal settlements and underserved areas within the ward?

Improving access to electricity, water, sanitation, and street lighting will be my main priorities in Mpilisweni and Mandela informal settlements.

I will engage with the residents to help identify other problems, escalate the issue to the relevant departments, and report back to the community regularly.

7. What is your plan to address infrastructure problems such as potholes, sewage spills, streetlights and illegal dumping?

To address illegal dumping, I will engage the relevant department to place Skip bins in areas most affected by illegal dumping.

I will encourage the residents to report the issues immediately, using relevant channels, and provide me with all the details to escalate the issues further.

8. How will you ensure municipal funds allocated to the ward are spent transparently and effectively?

I will monitor all projects and consult the relevant departments to ensure that, while they address the needs of the people, they do so in a timely and transparent manner. I will promote a culture of value for money in how resources are allocated.

9. What programmes or initiatives would you introduce for young people, women and vulnerable residents in the community?

I will form partnerships with successful entrepreneurs and businesses to help encourage and educate young people about starting their own businesses.

I will also do research about opportunities for funding and mentoring towards starting and running a successful business.

I will establish a women’s network, where GBV victims will be given support. I will facilitate partnerships with relevant government departments and other stakeholders. I will make sure that qualifying households are put into the indigent register to ease the cost of living for young people and women in ward 52.

10. If elected, how will residents be able to hold you accountable and measure your progress over the next five years?

I will set clear priorities and report back to the community regularly. I will provide honest reports on the action taken and my plans to address the identified issues.

I will continue to be as accessible to residents as I am now. This will help with continuous accountability over the five years.

Caxton Local Media invited Ekurhuleni mayoral candidates, as confirmed at the time of publication, to participate in a question-and-answer interview, giving voters a chance to learn more about their plans, priorities, and hopes for the city ahead of the Local Government Elections on November 4.

The views expressed in these questionnaires are those of the respective candidates and do not represent the views of Caxton Local Media or any of its publications.

The answers are intended solely to provide voters with information about the candidates contesting the election and to help them make informed choices at the polls.