Service delivery a priority for new ward councillors
Both are excited to give residents of their wards the service delivery they expect
Lornette Joseph and Mary Goby emerged victorious in the byelections for wards 27 and 28 on
December 9.
Both expressed excitement about their work ahead.
“It’s exciting, nerve-wracking, daunting and hopeful. All kinds of emotions are still running through me,” said Joseph. “I was on a phone call now with a resident who called me ‘councillor’,
and said call me Lornette. It’s still so surreal.
“It is very new and exciting and just an all-round fantastic feeling. “I am super excited to get started.”
Goby, this being her second time as ward councillor after a four-year break, still feels the crazy emotions of ‘is this real?’.
“You take a four-year break, but when it comes through it’s still like did this really happen?” she said. “It took me until Thursday night to accept, hey, wait a minute, you actually did win again!
The support from residents and colleagues has been incredible. To wake up and realise this is happening on my second time. Winning is incredible.
“There is currently a lot of work to catch up on, for both Lornette and I, in our respective wards but by January it should ease up a bit more. Lornette and I will have an office next to each other, so coffee dates are a definite,” she chuckled.
“I am so happy to be here again and will definitely be playing catchup and giving it all I can.”
Joseph attended Dawn View High School and has always been community-minded.
“I left school what feels like 100 years ago and got involved in plenty of community projects and charity work,” she explained. “I have a very political family, so I have always been involved in
politics one way or another.
Joseph has been involved in many community initiatives:
• She started the first residents’ association on the East Rand.
• Belonged to many of the first CPF structures.
• When Joseph moved to Kensington, Johannesburg, she was the first female and youngest to be chairperson of their residents’ association.
• She moved to Lambton and started the LamDel residents’ association and was chairperson there until December 5, having been at the helm for four years.
• She has a family Non-Profit Organisation.
• Worked the first elections in 1994.
“I have and always will be very community- and charity-minded,” she said.
Goby attended Benoni High School and this will be her second time running Ward 28.
“I left school nearly 40 years ago,” she said. “I have always been communitydriven and been there for charity work.”
To name a few initiatives Goby has been a part of:
• She has been with the CPF for 14 years, having held various positions over the years.
• Goby has served on the board of Benoni Child Welfare.
• She was a founder and has served on the board of the Western Extension Business Association
(WEBA) and was a founder.
• During the pandemic, Goby and five other women fed over 2 000 families and still continue to do so.
“I am willing to be involved in any community activity,” she said. “I am so thankful to have my ward back and I am now back with new energy – back to square one and in politics again. I can’t wait to get started.”
Both women have changes they would like to make to the wards, but their main focus is going to be service delivery.
“I just want to be out there for the residents,” said Goby. “Service delivery is so important.
They are paying their rates and taxes, therefore, they deserve to have fantastic service delivery. That is what I am here for.”
ALSO READ: Lack of service delivery results in flooding at a couple’s Northmead property
Joseph said: “I need to build up residents’ trust. I need them to know and trust in the DA and know that when we say service delivery we mean it. This has been lacking and residents deserve better.
“I have a huge list of things that need to be done, including areas like the Bunny Park and the Northmead water tower. However, service delivery will be our main focus.”
The newly elected ward councillors agree this is a highlight of their careers, adding they would not have come this far without the support of their families.
“My greatest achievements, besides this, would definitely be my children,” said Joseph.
“Throughout the election, people would say nasty things or do nasty things and it would hurt my heart a lot.
“I feel deeply and that’s why I said ‘I will serve with heart’, and every step of the way. Everyone in my family, even my eldest son who didn’t want me to do this, cheered me on and told me they
have faith in me to succeed. I would not have been able to do this without them.”
Goby said: “My family are just amazing. I wouldn’t be here today without them. They have driven and supported me every step of the way. I would go home in tears when I wasn’t re-elected and they would always pick me up. Family will always come first.”
ALSO READ: Western Extension association pleads for service delivery
