Nina Gotthardt pledges to fight for better service delivery in Ward 38

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

The three biggest challenges facing Ward 38 are deteriorating sewerage infrastructure, neglected roads and poorly maintained public spaces.

• Sewerage blockages and overflows: I will fight for the replacement and upgrading of ageing sewerage infrastructure.

I will identify the areas most urgently in need, insist they are prioritised in the City’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP), and push for adequate funding. Residents should not have to live with sewage flowing through their streets and properties.

• Deteriorating roads and potholes: I will undertake a comprehensive audit of roads throughout Ward 38, identifying potholes, roads requiring resurfacing and areas needing preventative maintenance. I will maintain a record of these problems and engage the Roads Department regularly to ensure repairs are prioritised and implemented.

• Neglected parks and public spaces: Our parks and public open spaces should be places where families can relax, children can play and communities can come together. I will fight for regular maintenance and promote the DA’s Adopt-a-Public-Space initiative, allowing businesses, organisations, and residents to help maintain public spaces through properly authorised agreements with the municipality.

I will not simply accept deteriorating infrastructure and poor service delivery as the new normal. I will fight for Ward 38 to receive its fair share of municipal resources and attention.

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

Reliable basic services are not a luxury. Residents pay their rates and taxes for them, and they have every right to expect them from their municipality.

My first priority will be to fight for the upgrading and replacement of ageing sewerage infrastructure, followed by electricity infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the growing population of Ward 38.

I will use the IDP and municipal budget processes to secure the funding needed for these priorities.

I will continue engaging directly with municipal departments, attending regular service delivery meetings, monitoring outstanding complaints and escalating unresolved matters to senior officials and political leadership where necessary.

I will also push for preventative maintenance rather than allowing infrastructure to deteriorate until it collapses. Fixing problems before they become emergencies is both more cost-effective and less disruptive to residents.

While a councillor cannot personally repair a pothole or restore electricity, I can and will hold those responsible for delivering these services accountable.

Residents deserve results, not endless excuses.

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

Crime prevention requires a coordinated approach involving the SAPS, EMPD, Community Policing Forum (CPF), private security companies, residents and the municipality itself.

Ward 38 is fortunate to have an active CPF and dedicated private security companies. I will continue strengthening these relationships and supporting initiatives that improve cooperation, information-sharing and crime prevention.

However, the municipality also plays a critical role in making our communities safer.

Criminals thrive in neglected environments. Broken streetlights create dark streets where criminals can operate more easily. Overgrown grass and vegetation provide hiding places, while neglected parks, vacant properties and poorly maintained public spaces can become hotspots for criminal activity.

I will therefore fight for:

• Streetlights to be repaired promptly and maintained in working order.

• Regular grass cutting and the clearing of overgrown vegetation, particularly along roads, walkways and public open spaces.

• The maintenance and rehabilitation of neglected parks and municipal properties.

• Improved cooperation between the municipality, EMPD, SAPS, CPF and private security companies to identify and address crime hotspots.

I will also encourage residents to report suspicious activities and become active partners in keeping our neighbourhoods safe.

A safer Ward 38 requires both effective policing and a municipality that fulfils its basic responsibilities. I will fight for both.

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

One of my strongest commitments as a councillor over the past four years has been regular, honest, transparent and factual communication with residents. This will remain a cornerstone of how I serve Ward 38.

Residents should never have to chase their councillor for information about matters affecting their neighbourhoods.

I will maintain dedicated WhatsApp service delivery groups for Brackenhurst and Brackendowns, along with an information channel and Facebook page for residents who prefer updates without joining busy discussion groups.

I will provide regular feedback on municipal service delivery meetings, Council proceedings, infrastructure projects and unresolved community concerns.

I also commit to holding a public meeting every two months, where residents can raise concerns, ask questions, propose solutions and engage directly with me.

My regular Saturday information tables will continue to allow residents to meet me face-to-face, raise issues, or simply pull up a chair for a conversation.

I will also communicate IDP and other public participation opportunities well in advance so that residents can have their say in decisions affecting their communities.

A councillor must be accessible, accountable and willing to listen, even when the feedback is critical.

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

Local businesses are the backbone of job creation, economic growth and thriving communities. We must create an environment in Ward 38 where existing businesses can flourish and new businesses want to invest.

The City of Ekurhuleni’s most important contribution to attracting and retaining businesses is providing reliable, consistent basic services.

Businesses cannot operate efficiently when they constantly face electricity interruptions, unreliable water supplies, deteriorating roads, sewage overflows, and neglected infrastructure.

Our neighbouring Midvaal Local Municipality shows how reliable service delivery and business-friendly governance attract investment. Ekurhuleni should compete for that investment and those jobs, not let businesses look elsewhere because our municipality cannot get the basics right.

I will fight for dependable municipal services and infrastructure maintenance that support economic activity and make Ward 38 an attractive place to do business.

I will also establish a Ward 38 Business Forum to encourage networking, identify challenges facing local enterprises and create a platform for constructive engagement.

I will offer local businesses opportunities to promote their services through appropriate community information platforms.

Informal traders also play an important role in creating livelihoods and employment. I will assist them with information regarding trading permits, licensing requirements and municipal regulations.

At the same time, I will advocate for fair and consistent enforcement of municipal by-laws to ensure a level playing field for all businesses.

A municipality that gets the basics right creates the conditions for businesses to invest, expand and employ more people. That is what I want for Ward 38.

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

Ward 38 currently has no informal settlements. However, that does not mean no vulnerable households or residents are struggling to afford basic municipal services.

Many families, particularly pensioners and low-income households, face increasing financial pressure and need help accessing available support.

I will actively assist qualifying households to apply for and register under the City’s indigent support programme.

This includes helping residents understand the qualifying criteria, guiding them through the application process, identifying required documentation, and following up with relevant municipal departments when applications are delayed or unresolved.

No qualifying household should be denied the assistance available to it simply because residents do not understand the application process or cannot navigate municipal bureaucracy.

I will also work with local non-profit organisations, community groups and welfare organisations to connect vulnerable residents with appropriate support.

My commitment is to ensure every resident of Ward 38, regardless of financial circumstances, is treated with dignity, has fair access to municipal services, and knows where to turn for assistance.

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

I will fight for Ward 38 and use every tool available to a councillor to ensure our community receives the infrastructure maintenance, upgrades, and services it deserves.

Residents should not have to accept pothole-riddled roads, recurring sewage spills, broken streetlights, or illegal dumping as part of living in Ekurhuleni.

I will identify and document infrastructure failures, keep records of outstanding complaints, and actively pursue the relevant departments until they make progress.

Where departments fail to respond or deliver, I will escalate matters and use the oversight mechanisms available to councillors, including:

Submitting written questions to obtain answers, timelines and explanations for delays.

Raising oral questions in Council to hold the political leadership accountable.

Introducing motions where necessary to demand action on urgent infrastructure and service delivery problems.

Meeting directly with relevant municipal officials, departmental heads and depot managers to resolve outstanding issues.

Escalating unresolved problems to the relevant Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMCs) and, where necessary, the Executive Mayor.

Motivating for infrastructure upgrades and adequate maintenance budgets through the IDP and municipal budget processes.

I will also insist on regular feedback regarding outstanding repairs and communicate progress honestly to residents.

Being a ward councillor is not about forwarding complaints and hoping somebody responds. It is about persistence, oversight, accountability and fighting for results.

That is the kind of councillor I am committed to being.

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

Residents deserve to know how their hard-earned rates and taxes are being spent and whether they are receiving value for money.

I will monitor municipal budgets, infrastructure allocations, and projects affecting Ward 38, and demand explanations when funds go unspent, projects are delayed, or contractors fail to deliver.

I will engage regularly with departmental officials responsible for budgets and infrastructure projects and raise concerns through the relevant Council oversight structures.

Where necessary, I will submit formal questions to obtain information on project expenditure, completion dates, outstanding work and reasons for delays.

I will also use the IDP and municipal budget processes to advocate for Ward 38’s infrastructure and maintenance priorities.

Transparency must mean more than publishing figures. It must mean that residents can see what has been promised, what has been spent and what has actually been delivered.

Where there is evidence of wasteful expenditure, financial mismanagement or poor performance, I will demand proper investigation and accountability.

I will report back to residents on significant infrastructure projects and expenditure affecting our ward.
Public money must be spent responsibly and in the interests of the communities it is intended to serve.

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

Young people need safe environments where they can participate in sport, recreation and positive community activities.

I will advocate for maintaining and improving parks, recreational areas, and sporting facilities in Ward 38 so young people have accessible spaces to stay active and develop their talents.

Safe, functioning recreational facilities can also help provide positive alternatives to substance abuse, gang involvement and other harmful activities.

I will work with community organisations, sporting bodies and other stakeholders to explore opportunities for youth activities and community programmes.

Gender-based violence is another serious concern. Women and children experiencing abuse must know where they can turn for protection and support.

I will engage with relevant organisations, social workers, shelters, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to investigate ways of improving access to safe accommodation, referral services and assistance for victims of gender-based violence.

I will also continue supporting initiatives that connect vulnerable households, elderly residents and people experiencing hardship with appropriate municipal assistance and community organisations.

A strong community is one where young people have opportunities, vulnerable residents receive support, and women and children feel safe.

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

I firmly believe that a councillor works for the residents who elected them, and those residents have every right to hold their councillor accountable.

I will invite residents to participate in an annual assessment of my performance as their ward councillor.

This will allow residents to provide feedback on my accessibility, communication, responsiveness, service-delivery follow-ups, and overall performance.

I will also provide an annual report setting out:

• The infrastructure and service delivery issues raised during the year.

• Progress made in resolving those issues.

• Projects and improvements achieved.

• Matters that remain outstanding and the reasons for delays.

My priorities and commitments for the following year.

In addition, residents will have opportunities to engage with me through public meetings every two months, regular information sessions and my established communication platforms.

I will be open to constructive criticism, new ideas and suggestions on how I can improve.

I cannot promise to solve every municipal problem overnight, nor can I guarantee Council will approve every request.

What I can promise is that I will be accessible, communicate honestly, never stop fighting for better service delivery, and use every available avenue to hold the municipality accountable.

Residents of Ward 38 deserve a councillor who is present, persistent and prepared to stand up for them.

That is the councillor I intend to be.

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.