Hendry Botha pledges stronger service delivery and crime prevention in Ward 106

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

• Crime/drugs

I have a history in the security services industry, having owned my own company for many years. In this regard, I will offer my knowledge and assistance to both SAPS, CPF and the private security sector operating in my area. It’s all about visibility and deterring the opportunity for criminals to be active.

• Unreliable service delivery and basic infrastructure

At the end of the day, we cannot force people to do their jobs. Ward committees advise and help monitor; we don’t run municipal departments. I will, however, be active in my ward with escalating and reporting on issues logged with the municipality.

A register will be kept of all issues logged and will be followed up daily. The key here is keeping the public as informed as possible through channels available and using my position as a councillor to request timely updates on progress.

• Current growth of the CBD

The current growth of the CBD is problem. Simply because there is no basic service delivery. We are heading for a situation which they have in Johannesburg CBD, where the population – whether it be shop owners and businesses or just workers and people living there – far outweighs the capacity to service them.

The municipality is not doing their jobs. The problem is simple. Misamanagement. There is a lot of assessing to do, but I think a good start is to set up a monthly CBD service meeting. I will invite the relevant city departments and local stakeholders, create a register with attendees’ details, keep minutes and publish a short progress report after each meeting.

Use the meeting to resolve clusters of problems together. For example, a street with repeated sewer faults, damaged paving and missed refuse collections, rather than treating every complaint as unrelated.

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

• As said before, I will keep a register of issues logged and status of complaint.

• Get every service issue logged with the city. The city is supposed to list water leaks and outages, sewer blockages, electricity faults, streetlights, damaged road surfaces, missing signs and blocked stormwater drains among reportable issues. Keep the reference number and ask residents to do the same

• Track response and repeat failures, not just complaint counts. At ward committee meetings, review open cases by age, service and location. As a person who is in the health and safety industry by profession, I know how many of these issues should be resolved and can either help with direction or planning or put the necessary pressure where it needs to be applied.

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

I have long standing experience in the security industry, having owned my own security company. In this regard I offer my assistance to local security companies, CPF and law enforcement agencies, in whatever way, shape or form is needed.

The key is visibility. You will find that in areas where crime rates are lower, the reason is most likely more visibility of law enforcement. Like our party’s mayoral candidate, I have no problem being a ‘boot on the ground’ so to speak.

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

I am part of a vast WhatsApp group network involving 10 different groups with more than 10000 members between them. Its simple to get news out these days, however the onus will be on me to get the information.

I also think monthly ward meetings should be held for concerns to be raised and addressed. I also have an open-door policy when it comes to contacting me on any platform. My Facebook is open to DMS, and my number is easily attainable.

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

Ekurhuleni CBD revitalisation programme. This is a current initiative which was created and just left, with nothing done. Plans get made and promised and forgotten about.

This initiative includes running a regular CBD walkabout with city services, traders, businesses and safety partners to identify broken lights, dumping, blocked drains, potholes and unsafe access. At the end of the day, the better our CBD looks, feels and operates, the better chance of investment and new business attraction. I think we need to relook at this initiative.

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

I have no informal settlements in my ward, but I will lend my assistance to other wards in whatever form that may be.

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

First, we must remember, fixing Alberton isn’t an overnight thing. When it comes to service delivery, we need a councillor that will push the right buttons with the right people to get things done. Someone who has a backbone and won’t back down or be intimidated by municipal employees.

If you know anything about me, you know I do not back down. I will, within my rights within my appointment, put as much pressure to get things done. And if need be, I will offer my physical assistance as and when needed.

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

At the very least, a ward register should be kept. In this register will be noted the budget per ward, project names and locations, approved budget and source, planned start and finish date, delays and changes to projects.

As a project manager myself, I know how to control a project budget and to track expenses on said project

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

We as a party are a big supporter of the Alberton Social Upliftment project. Herein we supply food hampers, support to seniors in whatever form, mobility aids, help with back-to- school supplies for disadvantaged children and generally just fixing what has been left neglected.

I personally also find joy in helping young talented people find work. I have a good network of business owners that I am acquainted with so I will look at after school trade assistance for school leavers.

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

I will track and report my progress, good or bad, in my ward as a matter of transparency. I pride myself on doing what I say. I will admit I am new to this. It’s a very daunting world I see in front of me, but I have never been more excited about something. I live in the ward I’m running for, so failure on my part will affect me directly.

In closing, I want to say this: I am not a politician. I am your next-door neighbour, the guy you see at gym, the dad who takes my daughter to the mall and wears a princess dress with her. I am a resident of Alberton and specifically Ward 106, and I raised my hand to help.

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.