Ward 109 councillor Lori Coogan has denied allegations from some Setswetla residents that she refuses to serve the informal settlement because ‘they did not vote for her.’
She insisted that she has never adopted such a partisan approach to her duties.

In response to Alex News’ questions, the Democratic Alliance councillor in Ward 109 rejected the claim, which stems from growing frustration among residents that the Setswetla informal settlement has been left to decay. Community Committee members, led by chairperson Samuel Seoka, accused her of deliberate neglect, pointing to deteriorating roads in the settlement. He alleged that this has enabled the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) to delay repairs, citing a lack of strong councillor representation.

Read more: Roads in the Setswetla informal settlement lie in ruins, while services are in crisis

“I don’t ever refuse to assist residents who don’t vote for me. I have never used this thinking,” Coogan responded.

Noting her commitment to serving all constituents regardless of political support, she highlighted her efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic, which included organising feeding schemes involving food parcels, soup kitchens, Boxer vouchers, various foodstuffs, clothes, bread, and even more than a tonne of dog food. “This was done without thanks or recognition,” she noted.

Despite current concerns, she reaffirmed her willingness to assist residents when they faced challenges. She outlined her standard approach to handling service delivery complaints across the ward, which spans more affluent Sandton areas to parts of Alexandra, including Setswetla.

Also read: Setswetla’s problems go beyond decaying roads

She described a structured, collaborative escalation process that relies on residents providing precise details via WhatsApp. “I am always willing to assist residents. I use a widely used and effective issue escalation format as follows: I would like on WhatsApp, full details of the person/s involved, including name, contact number and address (a pin location can be used in the case of no formal address), and then factual, concise details of the issue that has to be resolved. Also, if the issue has been logged with an entity, please provide the reference number.”

For matters not yet formally logged, she said residents need to send exact locations, such as street addresses or location pins and contact information to enable proper registration and follow-up. Coogan added that resident feedback on completion is crucial, and she commits to providing expected timeframes after escalation.

“By working together, a lot more can be accomplished, even if some issues take longer than others. Persistent perseverance and cooperation yield results.”

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