Mayoral candidate hears Alberton business owners’ concerns ahead of elections
Alberton business owners raised concerns about crime, municipal service delivery, overcrowded schools and hospice bed shortages during an engagement with the DA’s Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane in Randhart.
Infrastructure, service delivery and crime were among the key issues discussed when 24 Alberton business owners met with DA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane at Lua Café in Randhart.
The cheese-and-wine gathering, attended by DA councillor Tim Denny and other party representatives, gave business owners a platform to raise community concerns ahead of the November 4 local government elections.
Alberton High School principal Liezel De Bruin appealed for land next to Swartkoppies Road to build additional classrooms.
She said the school could accommodate only 220 Grade 8 learners but had received more than 3 000 applications.
“There aren’t enough schools for all these learners in our community,” she said, adding that some learners had to attend private schools because of the shortage of places.
Denny said the land had already been earmarked for another purpose and that reversing the process would require higher-level intervention.
Stepping Stone Hospice CEO Tersia Burger also requested support to expand the organisation’s in-patient unit, saying it regularly had a waiting list for beds.
“I have no idea where we can start with our project to extend our in-patient unit to accommodate more beds. We constantly have a waiting list for a bed,” she said.
Denny said he would approach a Member of the Provincial Legislature to arrange a visit to the hospice, as the matter involved the provincial health department.
Crime and service delivery on the agenda
Addressing attendees, Rasilingwane said she would focus on poor service delivery, deteriorating infrastructure, and crime within the City of Ekurhuleni.
She said these challenges affected residents and businesses, underscoring the need for reliable basic services, maintained infrastructure, and improved public safety.
The gathering allowed business owners to raise concerns about the city’s challenges directly with political representatives ahead of the local government elections.
