Ward 94 councillor hasn’t taken leave in 10 years to serve over 20 000 residents
Meetings, emergencies, and service delivery challenges don’t pause, and neither does councillor David Foley, who has made the needs of his constituents his top priority.
For most people, the word leave brings to mind packed suitcases, automated out-of-office replies and a welcome break from ringing phones.
For Ward 94 councillor David Foley, however, leave has become something of a foreign concept, so much so that one might wonder whether he still remembers how to fill in a leave application form.
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It’s not that Foley has forgotten how holidays work. He simply hasn’t needed one in a decade. In fact, asking him about time off is likely to earn you a wry laugh before the honest admission: work comes first, and people come before everything else.
For Foley, public service is not a nine-to-five job; it is a constant commitment that does not pause for weekends, public holidays, or even Christmas lunch.
While others switch off, he remains plugged in, fielding calls, responding to messages, and troubleshooting service delivery problems across Ward 94.
Not out of obligation, but out of belief: that when residents need help, guidance or intervention, their councillor should be available.
Foley explained that his decade without leave was both a conscious and unconscious decision. “At the end of the day, it’s about people getting the service they require and the help they need, when they need it. That’s the most important thing.”
While he may have briefly travelled out of the province for weddings or urgent matters, Foley said these were never real holidays.
“In the good old days, I used to take a month off, usually around February. But once you’re a councillor, that kind of leave just doesn’t exist.”
Before entering full-time politics, Foley balanced his councillor responsibilities with a demanding executive role in the IT sector.
Even then, much of his annual leave was consumed by council meetings. “I would take leave from the office to attend council, but I’d still be working online during meetings. It showed commitment to both my employer and to residents.”
That sense of responsibility has only intensified over the years. Foley said councillor work makes it nearly impossible to fully disconnect, particularly during holiday periods when service delivery challenges tend to escalate.
“Over Christmas, we had Eskom problems, water outages, and serious issues. Handing that over to someone else isn’t easy. Relationships with city entities, Eskom, and JMPD take years to build.”
Even family time comes with interruptions. Foley admits his phone is rarely out of reach, even during Christmas lunch. “I try to balance it. If I don’t respond within an hour, that’s acceptable, but during a major outage, people expect feedback every 15 to 20 minutes.”
To cope, he has developed small routines, mowing the lawn, gym sessions and parkruns, brief windows of normality in an otherwise relentless schedule.
“You’ve got to multitask and keep your sanity. If you’re permanently ‘on’, you’ll go crazy.”
Despite the pressure, Foley prides himself on accessibility and respect. “I never brush people off. I’m never rude. If I miss a call, I send a message asking to call back. That’s just manners and work ethic.”
He attributes this approach to more than 35 years in management. “In corporate, your customer pays your salary. In politics, I don’t have 50 customers; I have over 20 000 residents. The principle is the same.”
Is he addicted to work?
“I wouldn’t say addicted. I just want to help. But you must be realistic. Burnout and health issues are real. That balance is critical.”
As for finally taking leave this year, his answer remains characteristically cautious.
“Councillors don’t really get leave; we get recess, and that’s still political work. If I need to go overseas, or if a doctor tells me I must rest, I will. I won’t be unreasonable.”
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