Fourways community members torn by allegations

SCRA has no confidence in Councillor James

Sunninghill Community Ratepayers Association has issued a vote of no confidence against Ward 93 councillor Candice James.

Chairman of the association, Linda Gildenhuys said, “Over the past few years, we have been disheartened by the lack of action and interest in Sunninghill by councillor James. [There have been] a number of complaints received from residents against her and the lack of progress on the main issues and even worsening of these issues over a four-year plus period.”

Gildenhuys added the association had built up a reasonable relationship with various entities and usually dealt directly with Region A to resolve these issues. While they did have a number of service delivery complaints, Gildenhuys said the reason for the vote of no confidence stemmed rather from the alleged lack of interest shown by James as well as her apparent rude responses to residents and on many occasions, lack of response at all.

The association compiled two bound folders of evidence featuring complaints from residents about James.

The association represents a membership of 4 272 residential units, most of which have at least two adults living in them, as well as six shopping malls and 48 large and small businesses.

Gildenhuys said she hoped the Democratic Alliance (DA), the party which James represented, would take action in response.

“We want a councillor who cares, one who at least tries, attends meetings and regularly engages actively with residents. We want a councillor who simply fulfils the requirements as set out in the DA councillor training document.”

She added, “Not every problem is easily solved and this we acknowledge. We do, however, expect her to ‘have our backs’ as ratepayers and to fight for those who elected her indirectly via the DA into power.”

James saddened by negative comments

Ward 93 councillor Candice James is saddened by the negative comments and publicity she has received since late last year.She met with the Fourways Review and brought with her a number of residents in support of her efforts in order to set the record straight.

James said that she joined the Democratic Alliance because she wanted to help people.

“I’m told that I’m bad for showing personal interest in residents,” said James.

“I would just like to add that I am a human like you, I too struggled through Covid. My magic wand never arrived in the post. I am only one person trying to make a difference. I can’t do it alone.

“I get that I will never make everyone happy.”

James said that many Sunninghill residents feel frustrated due to a lack of service delivery. She said that many residents pay their taxes and pay to be part of the residents association and feel angered when the conditions of the suburb do not change.James said she was saddened by the claims that she has poor communication with residents and terse responses to emails.

“I really do try my hardest to get to all calls and emails that I receive daily. I am sure that there are some that I have missed, but it’s not because I don’t want to communicate. It’s because I honestly have missed, or it has slipped my mind.

“I get a lot of emails on a daily basis and am grateful for individuals who report issues. This is critical for running a ward. I envy the ratepayers associations who have a lot of staff to handle the tasks with managers and secretaries. But I do realise that this responsibility comes with the job.”

James said that during the hard lockdown, she drew closer to residents who called and messaged her when they were going through tough times.”We created some beautiful banter over that period. My job changed to become about keeping the sanity of residents who were really struggling. I was helping people through emotional times. It became very personal. Residents are like an extension of my family.”

James said that she has requested a meeting with the Sunninghill Community Ratepayers Association and allegedly tried to reach out to the association through a resident to no avail. “Despite all that has happened, I still love my work and am committed to my residents, my party and my country.”

Chief Whip clarifies the role of Ward Councillors

The Democratic Alliance’s Johannesburg Chief Whip, councillor Wendy Alexander said technically, councillors could not be removed with a motion of no confidence by a residents’ association.

“Only the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has the powers to suspend or remove a councillor from office,” said Alexander.

She explained that if residents were unhappy with a councillor who belonged to a political party, they needed to contact the leadership of that party who would investigate and, if necessary, discipline the councillor.

Alexander said she met with Sunninghill Community Ratepayers Association and had been made aware of their complaints about James.”It is key to work with the community and my office is invested in this… My office with the residents’ association will find a way to work together in future, that will include communication strategies, escalation processes and keeping the community abreast of council information where available,” she said.

Alexander added that a good councillor would be open to communication with residents and help escalate their issues, keeping residents informed of their work in council, liaise with residents on changes to policies and by-laws and be active in the ward.

Alexander said residents often mistakenly believed that it was the councillor’s role to resolve water issues, make sure grass was cut, etc. but this was not actually their job.Residents must first report issues to the City council and if it remained unsolved, then the councillor could escalate it up the ladder of command until someone senior gave it the attention it deserved.

“Many residents are of course frustrated because the City of Johannesburg is not working, and so many of their issues are not getting sorted and things just get worse. In this case, it seems easy to blame your councillor for not helping but in reality they’re not responsible for this. It is illegal for councillors to give any instruction to a City official or attempt to interfere in how things are run.”

Mixed response from residents

Community members have shared mixed reactions to the leadership of Ward 93 councillor Candice James.

Ward 93 committee member Linda Horsfield claimed she and other ward committee members have experienced a myriad of problems since working with James.Horsfield alleged that James failed to hold ward committee meetings for months on end or to inform committee members about issues in the ward. She also claimed that James conducted these meetings in an unfair manner.

“She chairs the meetings like a dictator, allowing her fan club members to talk as long as they want but cutting short any member who raises complaints about her failure to respond to them,” said Horsfield.

She also alleged that James failed to inform her about development planning applications and never invited her or other ward committee members to ratepayers’ association meetings in the ward.Horsfield claimed that when issues were raised with James, she loses her temper in response, claiming that Horsfield had a personal vendetta against her.James denied all allegations made by Horsfield.

James said, “I have hosted meetings, even virtual ones, during Covid lockdowns. Each committee member is to send in a report every month. At every meeting I answer all that I can, and each member is given time to discuss their portfolio and a further round of time given to make further comments by all.”

Chairman of Magaliessig Action Forum, Mary Hanna described James as a hard-working, honest councillor with integrity.

Hanna said James had attended forum meetings and actively supported community efforts to oppose the proposed development in Magaliessig and assisted the forum to oppose the large advertising balloon installed illegally on Troupant Avenue.”Candice has gone out of her way, often at great personal inconvenience, to obtain assistance from CoJ [City of Johannesburg] to repair roads, fix potholes, instal chevrons and Armco barriers on dangerous corners, end water leaks and overflowing sewers,” added Hanna.

“Whenever we have needed Candice’s assistance, she has always responded and has replied to phone calls or SMSes without fail. It sometimes has taken a day or two, but it must be remembered she has to work entirely on her own without any secretarial assistance or support. How much can one person do?” asked Hanna.

Following the article published in the Fourways Review [week ending 7 May], the Fourways Review received the following letter. It reads, in part, below:

Since becoming our councillor, Candice James’ conduct has been exemplary. She has always responded promptly to our requests for information, done her utmost to lobby the council to act on local problems, particularly regarding the environment, been civil and polite at all times and, most importantly of all perhaps, helped us (an elderly couple) in every practical way possible during lockdown.

Frankly, having no family nearby, we don’t know how we’d have coped without her.