LGE 2026: ‘Preggy’ secures majority votes to lead Ward 30
The long-serving Westville community leader says his top priorities are water stability, electricity and refuse removal.
WARD 30, which services some parts of Westville, has chosen the DA’s Ramachanderan “Preggy” Govender to represent them, following a convincing election victory in which he secured almost 5000 more votes than his nearest competitor.
Govender said his victory did not come as a surprise, as he had worked tirelessly on the ground and built strong relationships with residents through years of community involvement.
“I knew I was going to win because when my name was announced as a candidate, the whole ward was excited because I worked very hard,” he said.
Also read: LGE 2026: Chris returns for third term as Ward 63 councillor
His election comes after years of active involvement in community structures, where he served in various leadership positions and played a role in addressing residents’ concerns.
Govender said he previously served as deputy chairperson of the Bonela Residents Association, as an executive committee member of the Sherwood Residents Association, as chairperson of the Bonela Community Policing Forum (CPF) sub-forum, as deputy chairperson of the Cato Manor CPF, and as co-chairperson of the Land Invasion Unit.
Ward 30 covers several communities, including Westville, Mayville, Bonela, Sherwood and Jimmy Carter Habitat. Govender said the ward’s diverse make-up meant that, although some challenges were common across the area, other issues required specific attention in individual communities.
“Water stability, electricity and DSW are the three main priorities. However, I have a ward that is made up of about five different areas, with some issues specific to that area, while the top three are for all sectors,” he explained.
One of his immediate priorities will be improving waste management services to ensure that communities receive more efficient and reliable refuse collection.
“I would like firstly to improve DSW, to try and push to get specific areas’ water infrastructure replaced,” he said.
Govender said there were two electricity distribution centres in the ward that had been vandalised and needed urgent repairs.
For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.
Click to subscribe to our newsletter here
