Meet your new ward councillor

Active involvement in community activities, leadership in the corporate world, civic responsibility, and political participation boosted the new councillor’s confidence and built his skills to meaningfully serve his community.

DA’s Gerald Goslin was sworn in as Ward 23 councillor on October 26 after winning the by-elections to replace a resigned councillor in the ward, beating the ANC’s Roslynn Alexander and the EFF’s Mmapule Aphane.
Topping the list of Goslin’s priorities for the ward include dealing with the erratic water supply and sanitation services, faulty streetlights, health and safety.

The proud and devoted husband of Nadine and father of three-year-old son JR said it is his responsibility to implement the same standards he maintains within his household.
“These include integrity, mindfulness, honesty, hard work, accountability, helpfulness, patience and respect, and implementing these values within the scope of the vocation, and as my sworn oath as councillor.”
Goslin’s experience includes a wide array of different fields, most prominently his corporate experience and being a business owner.
“I have been an avid DA activist since 2019, which allowed me to work closely with community members and councillors, as well as other structures of government.

“Serving as the DA branch chairperson in Ward 32, I was also been elected to serve on the municipal ward committee under the environmental development portfolio. As a business owner residing in the ward, I assisted in the establishment and growth of the Boksburg East Community Forum.

“As the incoming councillor, I am very fortunate to be working with a very prominent, integrated and hardworking branch cmmittee, which is intimately aware and involved within the community and has made the issues plaguing the community very clear.
“I look forward to working with the community of Ward 23 to uplift and build a better ward together.”

Goslin pointed out that he is exploring options for residency in Ward 23.
This ward covers Atlasville, Bonaero Park, Pomona commercial area, Goedeburg, Brentwood Park, Northvilla and the northern section of Northmead.

Owing to what he described as low voter turnout at the Ward 23 polling stations, the councillor urges citizens to take advantage of the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right of choosing their government.
He encouraged residents to, regardless of different political cultural and religious affiliations and economic backgrounds, to unite and work together.

“Treat every citizen as South Africans instead of referring to each other as ‘us and them’.
“The Springboks have shown us that we can put our differences aside and work together towards building a prosperous South Africa for all. I still believe that if we take politics out of the equation and work together, we can still fix all the shortcomings and steer our country towards the direction that we all want.”

Incompetent ward councillors
Responding to the Advertiser’s question about councillors who are often labelled as invisible and incompetent, Goslin said he is aware of such remarks which he strongly believes stem from people’s misunderstanding of the role of a ward councillor.

“At some point, people would expect their ward councillor to perform duties that they are not allowed to perform. While councillors serve as the link between the public and the council, they are not mandated to act as managers and supervisors who oversee public servants in the course of their day-to-day responsibilities.”

Goslin added that at the root of many of the problems facing SA are the issues of cadre deployment, which has led to the lack of accountability and KPIs within the country’s public administration.
He said it is up to the voting public to claim its entitlement to accountable government in which competent and skilled public servants always uphold the interests of the people they are employed and paid to serve in a manner that is responsive to their needs.

Also Read: Elected councillors take oath, contact your ward councillors